Synthetic Mg2SiO4

[Probeman]

Does anyone know of a supply of "Shankland forsterite"?

It was grown using Czochralski growth at Union Carbide in the 1960s:

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/ammin/article-abstract/48/1-2/200/542040/Synthesis-of-forsterite-crystals?redirectedFrom=fulltext

[Karsten Goemann]

If you're just looking for pure endmember forsterite we received some from John Hanchar recently.

[Probeman]

If you're just looking for pure endmember forsterite we received some from John Hanchar recently.

I am, but we are hoping to find a significant quantity (> 500 grams) of high purity material to create a global reference standard. 

Does anyone know of a commercial provider who could provide such a material in these quantities?

[Karsten Goemann]

In a previous life as a Materials Science researcher we worked with small crystal growing companies like Crystec in Germany.

[crystalgrower]

Fluxed growth method attached.  I believe you might not get too much contamination.

[Probeman]

Fluxed growth method attached.  I believe you might not get too much contamination.

This is very cool. I assume one could also grow high purity Mg2SiO4 (without Ni and Ti) single crystals?

Do you know of a commercial source for this material in kilogram quantities?

[crystalgrower]

Three brief ideas:

--The paper has several references to growth methods and the undoped is always the base material.

--Is there a reason why MgSiO3 is not a consideration?  I found a large matrix for HgS that turned out to be  very clean natural MgSiO3 once, easy to find again, in single crystals about 8mm long.

--John Hanchar at MUN used to quote prices for bulk syntheses, usually fluxed mineral structures.  Ask for bulk pricing, it will save you the $$$ of cutting boules. 

PS I think CMTaylor's idea of providing 2mm x 2mm x 2mm cubes gave the best price for materials.  Neither a gram, nor  flyspecks, but the size in between.

[Probeman]

--Is there a reason why MgSiO3 is not a consideration?  I found a large matrix for HgS that turned out to be  very clean natural MgSiO3 once, easy to find again, in single crystals about 8mm long.

Yes, synthetic enstatite would be very useful, but I would prefer a high purity synthetic material produced at the kilogram scale.