hey chemists!!! a question about salt.

[JB88]

odd question but i am hoping that someone can answer it.

i am currently working on a project which requires that i create a relatively solid sculptural form using only materials indigenous to this area.

salt water and sand.

can salt be used as a binder when mixed with sand?  if so, will it harden the mixture so long as i used non iodized salt?

sand scultpures have a tendancy to collapse very easilly and i need something a bit stronger.

could i extract salt from the gulf of mexico relatively easilly?

[GreenCloud]

.........................evap orator....distill the water..u have salt left

[Furball]

Originally posted by JB88
odd question but i am hoping that someone can answer it.

i am currently working on a project which requires that i create a relatively solid sculptural form using only materials indigenous to this area.

salt water and sand.

can salt be used as a binder when mixed with sand?  if so, will it harden the mixture so long as i used non iodized salt?

sand scultpures have a tendancy to collapse very easilly and i need something a bit stronger.

could i extract salt from the gulf of mexico relatively easilly?

turn the sand into glass and make a glass sculpture

[JB88]

already using glass as a platform (using that very same cheat...lol)

very specific project this one.

[Krusher]

Originally posted by Furball
turn the sand into glass and make a glass sculpture

now that is a good answer !

[Furball]

Originally posted by GreenCloud
.........................evaporator....distill the water..u have salt left

liebsig (sp?) condenser?

[NUKE]

Hey JB88 ( now this is just a joke, k)

Why don't you pound some sand up your bum and let it compact into a diamond?  

Seriously, don't have a clue as to how to make the sand stay together with just salt. Seems like it won't be easy.

[john9001]

the people that make the sand sculpturs spray the sand with something that makes it stick together, i don't know what it is.

[Reschke]

What other indigenous materials are there in your area? Just curious since it seems that you have chosen an awfully hard material to work with.

[Thrawn]

Originally posted by JB88
salt water and sand.

No shells?

[Curval]

Build yourself a sandcastle.  Easy peezy Japanesey.

[Wolf14]

isnt clay usualy below sand? If so can you use clay to create the project and then throw sand on it?

[TheDudeDVant]

Originally posted by Thrawn
No shells?

werd!

[slimm50]

JB88, I'm not a chemist, but I would think that salt would not make a good binding agent. First off, there's nothing in the sand for it to interact with, the sand being mostly silica. about the best you could do with salt is perhaps make a super-saturated solution, then spray it on your sculpture to for a crust. Doesn't sound like it'd be pretty though.

Nuke: You do realize diamonds are made from CARBON, right? But I'd pay good money to watch you pound some, just to see what it'd do.

[maxxius]

spit in it....a awsome binder if you could come up with enough of it........

should't be to hard workin on that project on the beach and all...........