HOW I MADE MY CUSTOM GLITTER LAMP

[Tevfik Dogruman]

I decided to make a glitter lamp this weekend. I did a research on the glitter lamp first on the internet. I did not come across much information. There are generally two practices (methods). 1. FREON, whose chemicals are now prohibited and not manufactured. 2. Saturated calcium chloride or calcium nitrate solution. Along with these two, not much mentioned glycerine + water, perchlorethylene + mineral oil.

First I tried to do it with calcium chloride. Really troublesome method (for me). If a small amount of calcium chloride got into the bottle, the bottle became blurry. It's really hard to adjust the intensity. Due to the polarity of the glitter and the aqueous calcium chloride solution used, the glitter stuck together. I don't have a lot of glitter on hand. Empty the bottle again, wash with pure water, waste of time and material.

What was I using? Polyester Glitter. At that time, I thought I had to solve this problem with organic chemicals. Because of the polarity.

I don't have the luxury of wasting chemicals. Both the environment and the money. But calcium chloride went to waste. The job is simple. Making the density of the giltter almost equal to the density of the liquid. Then, with a little heat, to start the movement by providing the small density change that will occur in the liquid in the bottle.

Materials I have: Glitter, PERC and silicone oil (100cs and 5000cs)

First, I weighed 40 grams of silicon oil (5000cs). I added the glitter. Glitter dipped in silicone oil. I added 40 grams of PERC. The glitters are at the bottom. I re-added 40 grams of PERC. The gliders are still at the bottom. Step by step I added another 40 grams of PERC. Glitteres tended to float slowly. I gradually added 20 grams of PERC and reached the density I wanted.

For the empty part of the bottle I weighed another 80 grams of silicone oil (100cs) and 280 grams of PERC. You will ask why I used 100cs silicone oil this time? To reduce the silicone oil viscosity. I once accidentally bought 5000cs of silicone oil. It just stood, I wanted it to be used.

If everything was okay, the glitter should move when I put the bottle in my palm.

https://oozinggoo.ning.com/video/custom-glitter-lamp

If this happens:

1. When I put the bottom of the bottle on a black surface, I can run it with solar energy.
2. I can operate it by using power led.

In short, I can operate with very little energy.

 

I have little glitter right now, I ordered it. When this week comes, I will add and share new pictures.

[Tevfik Dogruman]

Tips found as a result of trials:

1. Density should be readjusted at operating temperature. Because with the increase in temperature, the density of the liquid decreases due to the expansion. The glitter will collapse.
2. The density of the liquid should be slightly higher than the density of the glitter. Glitter should float lightly. In this way, the light from the base provides better brightness.
3. Easier to work with little glitter. Due to buoyant force.

 

http://oozinggoo.ning.com/video/home-made-glitter-lamp

[Autumn]

I recently worked on some glitter lamp formulas focusing on perchloroethylene as well. What I ran into was over time the glitter began to stick together. My recipe was 75% perchloroethylene 25% mineral spirits (stoddard solvent). My assumption is at higher temperatures the polyester glitter starts to dissolve. I thought maybe somehow they may have been sticking together because of static electricity. Do you think the polarity of the liquids and my glitter was building up a static charge causing them to stick together? Not knowing anything about chemistry I had no idea that this could actually happen.

After a real quick reading on polarity I guess since the oxygen atoms are not symmetrical the mineral spirits could have created a static charge making the glitter stick together and maybe it wasn't dissolving like I had thought?

I ended up giving up my research on these because I couldn't adequately exhaust the fumes and made myself sick a couple of times so I wasn't able to keep experimenting.

I also discovered that it is best to have the glitter floating on top when the lamp is off because when it heats up the density reduces due to fluid expansion. Kind of the opposite effect of a lava lamp which was an interesting realization. Make it too light and after about half an hour all of the glitter sinks to the bottom.

[Tevfik Dogruman]

Autumn excellent determinations for glitter.

What did you write the formula for ethyl 6-bromohexanoate? This chemical is very dangerous: Carcinogenic and flammable. I think it is very dangerous to work with it.

[Tevfik Dogruman]

Finally, my star glitter arrived and I added it.

http://oozinggoo.ning.com/video/home-made-glitter-lamp-finish

[Twinkiebabie]

Can you share where you got the silicone oil and what brand? 

[Tevfik Dogruman]

Hello Twinkiebabie, I bought the silicone oil from https://www.n11.com/ because I live in Turkey. The store name is "yagcarsisi" and the web address is https://www.n11.com/magaza/yagcarsisi

Twinkiebabie said:

Can you share where you got the silicone oil and what brand?