Making Opals for Free Air Conditioning

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In this video we explore the creation of synthetic opal in the workshop with the end goal of improving our homemade radiative sky cooling coatings.
The Thought Emporium's video about making opal: • Can you GROW an Opal?
The paper referenced throughout this video (this link will download a pdf): link.springer.com/content/pdf...
Thank you so much to those of you who support this channel on Patreon! Your support helps give me confidence to spend my time researching projects that are of value for more than just video views.
A special thank you to my top patrons:
Aik193, Chris, Damián Arrillaga, Daniel Moore, Dustin B , Eugene Pakhomov, Evan Hughes, Evan Relf, Gusbear, Jedediah Kivi, Jonathan Wilt, Iain Rei, Josh Hoppes, Mark Roth, Matthew, Matthias S., Michel Pastor, Nick Gerner, PabloXIII, Parker Jones, Peter Gordon, PeteyPak, Sam Hodge, Santiago Perez, Simone Chiesi, Syniurge, Teague Lasser, WilSkarlet, Yanko Yankulov, Alvaro Figueroa
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Thank you for watching!

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Hi everyone! I tried a lot of new things in the way I made this video. First of all, this is the most complicated project I've ever filmed without using a script. This allowed me to film the video much more rapidly than usual. Normally I would do all my experiments off camera to make sure everything worked, figure out a plan for how to present the project, build physical items to demonstrate concepts, research to make sure I can explain the science correctly, and finally script the video and film. I skipped all of that besides filming, which shaved a solid 3-4 weeks off the time it took to make this video. I hope the lack of a script makes the video more enjoyable for the reason of being able to see my authentic reactions to success and failure, and giving a behind the scenes look at how I tackle difficult projects. The downside of being unscripted is that this video is obviously not very succinct in presenting the key details of the project, and my descriptions of the science involved are off the cuff and probably contain many errors. On the other hand, without a script I was able to talk about all the details which I thought were interesting in the moment, and, if you like spending time with me in my workshop this should give you a big dose at nearly 50 minutes long. I'm certain many will find the slow pace hard to sit through. I will be interested to read your comments and find out how many enjoy this style compared to those who dislike it. I am also trying a new intro format with subtitles to try to get new viewers interested as they're scrolling through KZbin without volume on. I hope this doesn't seem too fast paced and gimmicky to those of you who have been with me for a long time. I wanted a strong hook for new viewers at the start of the video, but a relaxing and enjoyable watch for the rest of the project. I'll be watching the stats of this video closely to see how the intro has effected the interest of viewers new and old. Lastly I want to thank all of you for continuing to watch my channel and allowing me to pursue these projects with your support. This is what I love to do and I'm very grateful. To all my Patreon supporters especially, thank you for giving me some confidence in continuing on without fear of not being able to provide for my family. To everyone who leaves me comments, thank you also for the encouragement and even the occasional criticism which helps me to improve how I do things. Thank you all very much! Ben

[@SethCohn23]

I think this is a great format... To solve your negatives, maybe a follow-up video where you correct errors and provide a summary, a "cliff notes"/errata video... Gives you two bites at the apple, including providing a shorter version for those who want to share with those who won't commit 45+ minutes. Ethan Chlebowski did a 3 part Balsamic series and then did a 1 shot summary, for a good example, of a popular youtuber doing this.

[@limejet]

the intro hook definitely felt out of place. not really a fan personally, but the rest of the video makes up for it. hopefully it helps your numbers!

[@josho4228]

This was a lot of fun to watch! I liked seeing the genuine discovery and excitement

[@jannikheidemann3805]

I think a 8-12 minute recap video where you concisely and correctly compile all the important steps in the scientific process you take is a great Idea!

[@eddieelizabethhitler3259]

I'm completely neutral on the intro, it's the meat of the video I'm here for. If that's what it takes for you to be able to keep doing this I certainly won't object.

[@thethoughtemporium]

Hey thanks for the shoutout and nice video! Some tips that you may find helpful: For centrifuging, you need more speed not less. I used that exact same centrifuge, I just cranked it to max and held it so it didn't shake itself apart. Also for settling you'll want to dilute the solution with more ethanol, then let it settle in a tall tube. Like a grad cylinder with a removable bottom. That way the settling is as slow as possible and you'll grow the largest pseudocrystals. Also something I found was that the color you get from settling slowly or with a centrifuge, is not the same as the color you get from quickly drying. I found there was a weird effect where certain sized particle batches will settle out to look great, up until the second you attempt to dry them, then they look good. Or others that look good wet and dry. And different colors work differently depending on settling method. It was rather finicky to get it right. Something I never took the time to do was quantify this carefully because it was so annoying doing the reaction as carefully as I was. The fact you got this basically working in a beaker actually speeds this way up. I was being way too delicate about it I think. Cool to see others working on this and this actually gave me some ideas on a way to improve making big chunks of opal. Though traditionally the long reaction time is there to make sure all the TEOS is used up otherwise the particles will start to agglomerate and stick to each other with the tiny bit that's left in solution. Also for clarity, the issue isn't the particles. It's that they're not stuck together. It'll only go clear-ish if you sinter the final opal, or backfill it with epoxy to remove the air pockets/voids. The most difficult but pretty ones to make are settled, dried, sintered, then back filled with a solution of even smaller particles, then sintered again. But getting that process to work is tricky. Though even a single round of sintering will make it more clear and glassy, but don't overheat it or it all just melts. Need just enough heat for the contact points between spheres to fuse, without melting the spheres. Hope that helps!

[@TurboGreen]

i watched your video 3 years ago. and when this was posted the first thought that came to my mind was "OMG TTE already did this once " and suddenly i heard your name and had to come down to see if you commented and i was not disappointed hahah. i absolutely LOVE your videos :)

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Hey thank you so much for all your research on this! You made it really easy for me. I think my previous calcium sphere experience helped me feel comfortable taking some shortcuts I wouldn't have otherwise. Like they say in the paper that the reactions were done in an inert atmosphere...but why? Maybe it improves things slightly but no way is that essential. It's really helpful advice about adding extra ethanol for settling, and also about letting the reaction carry on to stop conglomeration from trace teos. I have a few samples now that settled on the bottom of my beakers and they do have a super bright band of color in the typical vertical stripes of a synthetic opal puck. I'm testing a bunch of stabilization methods currently like alcohol soluble binders and aluminum salts. I think maybe you could do without the supercritical drying if you start with an organic binder that burns out somewhat close to the sintering temp. I'm not sure, there's too much to test! Thanks again, we'll have to keep comparing notes on this one!

[@Nighthawkinlight]

I'm surprised you had better results with faster centrifuging also... That's bizarre! I only started seeing color flash when I slowed mine down. I wonder if it's about the amount of brownian motion happening... maybe your lab was warmer than mine. By the way, you should take out the metal sleeves in your centrifuge and weigh them. I found mine were sometimes 5g different from others. Mine runs super smooth now at full speed with similar weighted sleeves opposite one another.

[@phlanxsmurf]

Most wholesome interesting convo on yt right now. I love both of these channels, so this is like Christmas. Thanks for doing it ya’ll.

[@bobrobertsNotUrBob]

@@phlanxsmurf need a mash up

[@stephenwilliams163]

Cripes. I followed this guy to learn how to make tarps out of old bedsheets. Now we're making synthetic opals for radiative cooling? I'm here for it but that's a hell of a journey.

[@tannermaple]

Lol

[@FainTMako]

Started at the bottom lmaoo

[@YourWifesBoyfriend]

Most "funny because it's true" thing I've seen in a while

[@Hemigoblin]

I’m the opposite - I first came for the cooling paint, then subscribed because of the giant bubbles

[@whismurmagic7903]

Right? I subbed years ago for the little isopropyl alcohol fueled airport guns he used to make and now we’re here. Wild.

[@chillbasslines1]

This is incredible! I am the founder/CEO of the first large-scale distributor of PDRC materials in the US down in Tucson, AZ. I've been following your progress since your first attempts using barium. Totally love what you are doing to not only explain PDRC, but actually show people how it's possible to make their own! If you ever want to play with a sample of commercial Radi-Cool material, let me know! I'd be happy to send you some membrane, self-adhesive film, and/or fabric.

[@gabe_owner]

Woah, I'd love to see some kind of follow-up seeing the state of the art. I'm sure many other people would too 😊

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Please do send me an email! [e-mail]

[@yepter807]

I would love to see this with commercial grade material

[@renee1741]

Could you paint this in a water trough for animals in hot climates? Would it stand up to being under water?

[@origami-airplanes]

@@renee1741As a naive bystander, If no direct contact is made, and choice of solution is correct, maybe you can use it? I'm not sure its possible to be made ideal for outside... You can reduce the contained wavelenght in an enclosed and correctly shielded space.

[@m.w.4508]

I've had Glove² casually chilling under my kitchen sink for months and had absolutely no idea how dangerous it was. I even have a glovebox in my car! Thank you so much for saving my life with this information. Subscribed.

[@rduinopi]

Can you explain it a little bit please cos I must have missed out what he was said in the video about old glove dangers

[@glarynth]

@@rduinopi It was a joke at 2:16

[@itchiegames]

@@glarynth but jokes are funny and this wasnt so how is it a joke?

[@ShockingPikachu]

The thought emporium is legitimately one of the most awesome youtube channels out there. From body modding to growing neurons for electrical purposes. Theyre awesome and worth a watch

[@LimitedState]

That dude from that channel literally self cured his own lactose intolerance like over half a decade ago I'm guessing without finding that video.. great channel, amazing content. Can't say enough good about TTE.

[@ShockingPikachu]

@@LimitedState it's wasn't a cure per se, he intentionally infected himself with lactose fermenting bacteria which temporarily allowed his body to appropriately digest lactose for a few months. However, he did note that his symptoms of lactose intolerance became significantly less and far more manageable after the experiment

[@prestonfisher2632]

He actually genetically modified his stomach lining with a virus. Not too different from the technique j&j used for their less than safe version of the vaccine. Iirc he even notes that it could lead to blood clots...​@ShockingPikachu

[@gnatdagnat]

fuck me that's cool @@LimitedState

[@prestonfisher2632]

He actually used a virus that genetically modified his stomach lining. He warned others not to follow in his footsteps cause the technique is known to cause blood clots. Wonder where I've heard that​...@ShockingPikachu

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

My PhD is working with SiO2 Stöber type nanoparticles, glad to see this get some attention :) I'm not going to grill you for the science about light scattering, it's a complicated topic. but let's just say that Rayleigh scattering is simply a simpler model of the Mie-Solution to the light scattering of particles. The Mie-Solution is exact, albeit requires a numerical solution. Time to invest in a DLS / SLS / SEM / TEM! :D Quick tip in general: pre-dilute your TEOS /w at least an equal volume of Ethanol (so split up your total charge of Ethanol into two parts), this prevents aggregation. One last thing: it takes about 3 hours for me to see no more changes in particle size / scattering properties at 25C reaction temperature. I would recommend you wait at least 2 hours, even at 60C. you can do reactions in small screw-cap-vials, that way you can test many different reaction conditions very quickly. you can 3D print a holder or buy one made out of metal for a stirplate, should be able to stir like 6 at a time. then you just have to do it at 25C, but this doesn't influence the reaction all that much - you just get larger particles in general at lower temperatures. One very very last thing: Higher percentage of solid content in a medium might not be better. The effect is non-linear, and there is a maximum volume percentage at which the maximum light is scattered and reflected, this is called "dependent scattering".

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

[@connorjohnson4402]

I feel like that once you start dealing with things on the nano scale most processes or phenomena become a lot less intuitive, and any short or simple explanations probably need a quantum asterisk saying in reality things are a lot more complicated.

[@ZanaCakes420]

"I'm not gonna grill you" *continues to grill you*

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

@@ZanaCakes420 well, not on the science of scattered light. I did grill him about the synthesis itself tho, which is what this video was about :P

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

Sodium silicate is how you would best fill the opal spheres. It can be perfectly mixed, balanced, and then dried using acetone under pressure until it solidifies [sort of like aerogel, only without making it actually hollow, and therefore having no porosity], which is essentially like what happens in nature when silane deposits around the opal spheres under high pressure in the earth.

[@fakjbf3129]

8:51 So is this how Legolas knew there had been a battle during night at the start of the second movie? The rising sun was more red not directly because blood was spilt but because the humans had burned the orc corpses causing more particles to be suspended in the air.

[@jannikheidemann3805]

Great attention to detail!

[@ZoonCrypticon]

Exactly! And this is perhaps also the reason for the still prophetic verse in the Bible in *Revelation 6,12* "12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;...". And this time isn´t to far away from now !

[@blademasterzero]

⁠@@ZoonCrypticonall of those also naturally occur though

[@vaakdemandante8772]

@@ZoonCrypticon earthquake, solar eclipse and rising full moon are just normal natural occurrences. Sure, 2000 years ago most simpletons would view it as divine action, but today one would have to be a complete moron to treat those natural phenomena as anything related to religion.

[@DasIllu]

@@blademasterzero You are no fun at parties. Relax, i am also "that guy" 😀

[@justinmohan3993]

Didn't you know? The element Glove is one of the more dangerous elements. I hope this video doesn't get flagged or demonetized.

[@The_Keeper]

Well Glove is kinda dangerous, sure. But its isotope Mitten is absolutely lethal.

[@AFMR0420]

Hand Sox are like a forgotten god.

[@ethanwild3301]

why would it get demonetized?

[@mrtechie6810]

​@@ethanwild3301because they can.

[@zhinkunakur4751]

@@ethanwild3301 for potentially traumatizing health inspectors 🫣

[@tryAGAIN87]

THIS. This is the KZbin I love and remember. Full credit to the researcher, and pure joy to recreate the results. Science in its most pure form. Thank you to both you and Thought Emporium. I love both of your channels and I watched the process when Thought did it. It was fascinating to learn the process. But I am enjoying yours just as much to hear the excitement in your voice. This is pure discovery at its best!

[@crescentwind1032]

I love how contagious your excitement is. Including your "failures" with your previous attempts made it all the more genuine and really makes the viewers feel like they're with you for the ride. Stay awesome, Ben 👍

[@betabenja]

18:30 seeing you happy about succeeding at something largely only special to you has also been the most wholesome part of my day too

[@BenWeigt]

I'll have what he's having

[@EduardoQuera4]

Same

[@voltcorp]

tbf homemade radiative cooling would be very special for all of us

[@sirlawbringer9123]

I’m a ring maker and often use opal as a critical component in my rings. I usually think about creating my opal, but the biggest hurdle I see is if you let the solution settle to create a gemstone. It’s very fragile, so I hope you tackle the issue of heating it under immense pressure to make a workable gemstone. I wish you good luck to you in your opal adventure!

[@andrewferguson6901]

Hot hydraulic press?

[@mattgray666]

Material science videos are their own kind of gem. The practical application of dumping waste heat into space is especially exciting. Keep up the good work!

[@NotAvailable_na]

At 18:35 "I feel like such a nerd". Yes you are, but we LOVE YOU for THAT. 👍 Congratulations.

[@natorsi]

Spilling it on the floor was the most relatable thing I’ve ever seen

[@davemi00]

That’s what made this relatable. 😂

[@KenjiIchijou]

Getting out of depression, you're re-igniting my passion for science. Functional stuff like this just tickles my brain in a way that nothing else does. Thank you so much, dude.

[@deso8401]

Chase it man! Doing things is the opposite of depression no matter how pointless it may seem!

[@OurSpaceshipEarth]

Welcome back, as someone that can relate I think it's very inspiring when we see someone being open and sharing that hopefulness so many of us that have/are/will find ourselves being able to relate very much just as you've expressed. We might all be in our own personal situations but I know it helps me just when when someone even just takes a moment of honesty and reminds us all that things will get better with time or some outside help. Whatever form some freedom from the "blues" (as i call it) takes it's very respectable and kind to make that point for the rest of us, even if it wasn't your intention - you're comment was very uplifting :) thanks man

[@gljames24]

Love the creator's high that you got from making opal for the first time.

[@jasontimmur]

Ben, I usually don't gush about folks I follow, but I have to say, I'm really pleased with your channel. Top quality, fascinating, useful, original content. Humility, willing to show your own mistakes as well as how you learned from them. Humble requests for support while acknowledging the limitations of some of your viewers. You have folks like Tech Ingredients and others name dropping you? You've made it, dude. Amazing work , well done. And thank you very much for your content.

[@Skylord12345]

I love that you always share as much information as possible and give credit to the original work. So much content on here now is just out of context stuff or stolen work so your channel is quite a breath of fresh air. Keep up the great work! All of your videos are gems.

[@rowanshole]

Hey, I'm looking forward to the "An American reacts to diy synthetic opals video" video.

[@BackYardScience2000]

I also am working on making my own opals. I am using Thought Imporiums process for making them as well. I'll be posting a video on the process later this summer if anyone wants to follow along and see what i can do. Thanks for making another video to go by! Taking tons of notes and I'd be glad to collaborate if i am successful. Thanks again!

[@purphexyon]

I checked out your channel and subscribed. I love your video and statement on the baby raccoon (I hope they are still doing well), and your ruby video was very interesting.

[@BackYardScience2000]

​@@purphexyon thank you for the sub! I greatly appreciate it. The baby raccoon is with a new home now because I don't have a permit to keep them and if I keep one, I could get a fine and possibly jail time. That's Kentucky law for you. But he did grow up with me and can never be turned loose due to him not knowing anything besides a captive lifestyle. I go to see him every weekend and we still get along really well and he's as happy as a raccoon can be. Thankfully the new keepers only live a few miles away. I am a logger by day and we try to save any animals that end up injured and care for any babies that we end up with after cutting trees. We refuse to just leave them to die, so I usually end up raising them until a permitted person or a wildlife refuge can take them. Squirrels are the worst to raise, though. They're loud and chew on everything. Lol! But they are fun. The ruby video was an absolutely awesome experience! I still have some of the small rubies we made back then and I want to make bigger samples this summer. I haven't been able to make many new videos lately, but that should change this summer when I get more time to make them. I really, really appreciate the support! I also have an eBay store that helps support my channel as well that deals with elements from the periodic table and chemicals for science experiments. I try my best to make it to where people can get what they need for their experiments and have many teachers as customers. But that's enough self promoting for now. Lol! Again, I really appreciate the sub and support! Have a great day! 😃

[@DrDIYhax]

nice im following

[@brendanfields3691]

Thru you a sub brother wish you well in future

[@eugenetswong]

Congratulations on your success so far!

[@djepp1261]

The pure joy this man is feeling... it's so wholesome.

[@0therun1t21]

"Enormously small," lol! No, it's not boring. I'm almost as excited as you are, and your's comes through the screen! I'm sending this to a friend who's tried making opal before but she had no clue. I bet if she gets inspired she'll try again, she's super smart so I think she can do it.

[@xislomega242]

It warms my heart seeing you gush with glee at liquid opal drying, so innocent and bright. Also congratulations on having a son, we're all proud of you :) That boy will have a fantastic childhood I'm sure.

[@zhinkunakur4751]

luckiest son in maybe 5000 mile radius

[@fwiffo]

What you'll see in high quality black opals is that the top of the polished opal with the "fire" is sometimes more translucent than the dark potch underneath. Doublets simply glue a translucent opal to a black background to create a cheaper imitation of a black opal. So you could let your opal just dry on a black surface, then use the nail polish trick to get rid of the white. My understanding is that synthetic opals used as gems actually have the silica particles in some kind of resin, which is what fills the gaps instead of air.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Not anymore. No resin needed.

[@4Clubs]

There is this channel that I love where a guy makes D20s out of gemstones. Just carves them out beautifully. And in one of his videos he used synthetic opal. It is so cool. Wish someone would grow an ol' chunk o' opal to carve a D20 out of. It is such a beautiful pretty rock, there should be plenty of it for people to play with. Anyway, really nice video, brother. Keep up the great work and God bless you.

[@fonzo9405]

I remember years ago I subscribed because I thought raising peasants and fireworks where interesting. I felt so excited when this video showed up on my feed! Other youtube channels die off or lose their charm but after all of these years, your channel has only gotten better and so much nicer! Kudos to you and your channel

[@cursedvoid]

As someome who's watched your vids since the old 4th of July vid that Grant made back in the day, I'm glad that you are still going and introducing people to other great creators. Grant would be proud I bet.

[@defnotKevin92]

I've never seen hawk so expressive. After watching his videos and admiring all the precise science and effort he puts into them, this man truly desrves this payoff, like I was felt happy to see him so happy. Good shit my guy

[@alden1132]

I just had a thought, and I feel like it's important to share. It might be a good idea to install a ribbon to flutter in the air near the vent for your DIY fume hood. If you lost negative pressure due to failure of your evacuation fan, you might not realize until after you've started breathing dangerous chemicals.

[@TaraSmallss]

Watching his excitement put a huge smile on my face it’s amazing how intoxicating actual joy is to watch and experience

[@jawa7609]

Run the opaline fluid through a freeze dryer. The vacuum element would negate the oxygen mixed in the fluid, and it potentially could speed up the turn around time for "settling out" a good looking opal. Just a thought. Cheers man, been a fan for a LONG time! :)

[@trollmcclure1884]

Or the opposite if natural opals are created under high pressure. I'd clamp a chunk in a vise between two flat surfaces. Ultrasound vibrations may do something but it's not able to grow a crystal in the first place. Something is holding the spheres together in the gemstone obviously

[@Mind_Idiot]

@@busimagenwon't that deform/melt the spheres?

[@haroldemmers6428]

Try using a slow rotary evaporator. And keep feeding in stock material to build a thick layer. And ...... Super AWSOME stuff man. ... congrats with your first colors

[@andrewferguson6901]

Clever, I'm interested to see if slow aggregation could work like that

[@AppliedScience]

The time lapse of the particles drying is amazing! Looks like a computer graphics effect. Really nice work.

[@jaccodenbosch4632]

Hi, as a Dutch material engineer I can tell you that this effect is not only restricted to silica based particles. You can see the same effect when polymerisation crosslinked polystyrene. The fact that particles settle is a very ordening manner is dependable on their monodispersity and settling time. Fore stone-like structures your approach using silica is probably the best way forward. As a suggestion: you could use a fraction of your first synthesised sample to use as a seed solution for further, more controlled, growth of your desired mondispersed particle diameter. Good luck!

[@renhoeknl]

I like that you also show when it doesn't work and going from there and trying to fix the problem. Shows the scientific method really nicely.

[@Nuovoswiss]

About the ammonia: almost every % that isn't ammonia is water, and water is actually the reactant in this process, ammonia is just a pH modifier to slow the reaction: Si(OEt)4 + 2H2O --> SiO2 + 4EtOH By using 10% ammonia instead of 25% you were adding more than twice as much water as the authors of that paper. Also I've found that most "clear ammonia" for cleaning use contains miscellaneous alkylammonium "detergent agents" via the MSDS (not the label), so if you need pure ammonia (or technically, pure ammonia+water) it's best to make it via: NH4(X)(s) + NaOH(aq,~40%w/w,corrodes glass) --> NH3(gas) + H2O + Na(X)(aq) and bubble the gas into very cold (close as you can get to not freezing) distilled water, ideally with a diffuser for small bubbles, then titrate to work out the percentage.

[@abydosianchulac2]

Small note: assuming everything in solution that's not ammonia is water, then moving from 25% ammonia to 10% is not doubling the amount of water but increasing that amount by 20% (since you're increasing the percentage of water from 75% to 90%).

[@Opallovers]

Len Cram revolutionized opal research, debunking the belief that opals take millions of years to form. Subsequently, he earned an honorary Ph.D. for his groundbreaking work. Despite lacking formal scientific training or a high-tech laboratory, Cram's passion for opals drove him to success, operating from a humble workshed! Fantastic video!

[@eugenetswong]

Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate seeing you be happy. You put so much effort into the project. You deserve it. It means a lot to me and the audience. Congratulations on your success.

[@kcumms3318]

Watching or listening to someone geek out about what they are passionate about has to be one of the greatest things. The pure joy when he is seeing the shimmer of red is great to behold.

[@isaacthedestroyerofstuped7676]

A lot of people are mentioning annealing as a fix for the lack of stacking or even the air contamination. I wonder if heat or a very weak but continuous vibration would help. It would need to be weak enough not to resuspend the particles but strong enough to dislodge them from the messy lattice. If you are stll worried about the denaturant or other contaminants/impurities, you COULD distill the reagents. With how well it worked, I don't think that's necessary though. Also, (for anyone interested) the ammonia being used to help the TEOS break down is actually hydrolyzing it. The hydroxide ion in the ammonia (ammonium hydroxide, not pure ammonia which is a yikes) breaks the silicon-ethyl ester to form ethanol and an orthosilicate ion which then takes protons from the ammonium ion to form orthosilicic acid. This then breaks into silicon dioxide and water. The ammonia and water react to regenerate some of the ammonium hydroxide. (edited for spelling)

[@peetiegonzalez1845]

I like this format. Warts and all... We can see your genuine excitement and get a feel for what it actually takes. On top of that you always have the luxury of editing later on and adding editor cuts to explain things or correct yourself. And it takes WEEKS less for you to make just as great a video.

[@lucygettys8761]

Congratulations on becoming a father oh my goodness! I've been watching your videos for about 10 years now, a little less than half my life, and I wanted to say you're one of the greatest people on youtube. Thank you for sharing your projects with us, I always get so happy when I see your videos and look forward to what's to come.

[@dalinbaldwin6946]

Loved this format, the length and raw experimentation. You’re one of the few people that has stayed true to yourself on KZbin, I’ve been watching for over 10 years and it still feels the same watching your videos now, which I love. I can’t wait to see some practical experiments using opal

[@Simon-fn1ed]

This might be the only ad where I wished it was longer; I love that bird

[@LordWhirlin]

I love how engaged and appreciative you are to other youtubers. Love the shoutout to the Thought Emporium's foundation, and Steve Mould on Brownian Motion.

[@sahilnavale6558]

I liked how the video was long, filled with your explanation, procedure, unfiltered and your emotions.

[@defenestrated23]

I haven't finished yet but Janitor's ammonia (any store bought ammonia solution) often contains other stuff like scent and detergents. That could be messing with nucleation.

[@seekingthelovethatgodmeans7648]

"Clear" household ammonia would be what we'd want.

[@mmhmnms]

I'm loving the live reactions from the video being unscripted, but you're good enough at explaining things that I didn't even know it was unscripted until you said so! Phenomenal results so far 👌 looking forward to parts 2-∞

[@BananenBoerBob]

You've done so much for my understanding of concept I didn't even know were possible beforehand. Be it thermal lances from brakelines, microwave rubies, starlite, radiative cooling, automatically aiming solar panels and a bunch more. Thank you for your continued effort in providing the most interesting science videos on KZbin!

[@chir0pter]

really appreciate how you've approached this. as a bench scientist many of the techniques you're using, reading primary literature then trying to recreate it, or just how to approach interpreting results is familiar to me having done it for a job but you are catching on very quickly & bringing us along as you do so.

[@CheeseDud]

Your joy in this video is absolutely contagious. Thanks Ben :)

[@MrAlFuture]

This was so cool! Thank you for sticking with the longer form experiments and videos.

[@Piercy12345]

Your enthusiasm is awesome. That is the most genuine excitement I think I've ever witnessed on a KZbin video.

[@Neon-jn3sp]

22:45 Nothing on planet earth could EVER have predicted just how utterly BAMBOOZLED I was in regards to what was about to happen here. That alone deserves a sub.

[@lewsdiod]

Your enthusiasm is both contagious and inspiring! Big congrats on the opal synthesis! Looks amazing! Been loving every one of your videos since many many years, and am looking forward to your next one. cheers

[@Impatient_Ape]

Awesome! Really great work Ben! This video "flows" really well for not having a script! I'm curious what effect -- if any -- ultrasonic exposure at normal incidence might have on your solution as it dries on the glass. My thoughts are that if you could set up a standing wave, the pressure oscillations should create a nearly motionless node at the glass surface that helps nanoparticles adhere there, but may jostle them just the right amount a tiny bit above the glass to allow you to "tune" the thickness of your opal layers.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Thank you! Interesting idea about the ultrasonics. I wonder if anyone else has looked into manipulating crystal growth in that way

[@NandR]

@@Nighthawkinlightmy mind goes to Steve Mould’s video of the tiny metal balls encased in glass. When he added vibration they settled into larger crystal structures.

[@DeborahKirkpatrick]

@@NighthawkinlightYes, they have. I'm trying to find the link to the research paper; I have scores of bookmarks so it'll take a while to find it. If I remember correctly, it contributed to the shape of the nanoparticles, too. I tried a different approach, I used ultrasonics to settle SN nanoparticles in one single solution to separate the different sizes and it seemed to work. I was using them for luster glaze; I siphoned the top of the mixture to get the larger ones, ultrasoniced some more, siphoned again, etc. It appeared that the different sizes were separated and results in different interference colors. If I could figure out how to post a picture, I would show the results.

[@timothyfuller683]

How happy you were at achieving your goal and getting synthetic opal to work is what the pursuit of science is all about. The joy of discovery and the satisfaction of success. Kudos, major kudos. 👍

[@trynadyna9662]

Easily my favorite channel on KZbin. Congratulations on your growing family, your kids have won the cosmic lottery to have you as a father!

[@romeolz]

I don't think there's another channel whose uploads I look forward to more, since my subscription I've enjoyed every single video

[@610demonkey]

Congratulations on your son!!! 🎉

[@skylertot5026]

This is the FIRST VIDEO i can HEAR how EXCITED you are for a Project, All reactions, tone and laughter are pure and real ... so much so ... wa can truly see and hear your PASSION

[@joshhagen4182]

I love that I grew up as a young teen watching this channel and still get to watch new content as an adult

[@pooyataleb2514]

23:30 BIRB! also thought imperium is an awesome channel

[@CoraTerrion-lp7ki]

The evolution of some og youtubers is insane. Like 8 years ago this chanel was like diy airsoft and fireworks and now he makin opals and rubies at home

[@PankajDoharey]

We live in a world where youtubers are doing cutting edge research. What a time to be alive!

[@secularstormchaser0074]

Your description of nano particles snd nucleation sites also works for macro particles e.g. hail stones.

[@mason3279]

I have a question. How are you/ did you dry your opal solution without destroying them? I made opal via the TEOS synthesis last fall and have allowed several batches to settle due to gravity and with a centrifuge. They have great color as a pellet in a test tube, but whenever I've let them sit out to dry they shatter or lose all color. I have looked at supercritically drying them then fusing with a furnace, but it Is a large monetary investment to go that route. Any suggestions or experience would be very welcome.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

I haven't got that far yet but I have some ideas. Some have reported success by adding soluble aluminum salts to the mix which increase hardness. I'm also trying some alcohol soluble binders which should hold the opal together as they dry. We'll see

[@mason3279]

@@Nighthawkinlight I tried using standard woodworking epoxy under a slight vacuum to slowly evaporate the ethanol. This didn't destroy the pellet but it lost all color, I assume the expansion caused during evaporation ruined the interference. The only somewhat pretty opal I have, I allowed it to air dry for ~30min then soaked it in CA glue. I then polished it like any other stone and then applied a thin coat of CA glue to form a clear surface and preserve the color. I really want to form a binderless, silica-only, opal. If anyone reading this has any ideas please write a reply.

[@BackYardScience2000]

Great comments, guys! I am also doing my own opal and will take any advice that I can get. Writing all of this down so I know what's been tried and what hasn't so far and what works. Keep them coming! 😃

[@Nighthawkinlight]

@@mason3279 One of the papers thought emporium put in his video description talks about filling the structure with silica gel which apparently works. CA glue is interesting. I think you could probably have success with a binder/sintering combo where the binder gives initial stability and then is burned out.

[@mason3279]

@@Nighthawkinlight The biggest issue I've seen looking around on the internet is that when burning or evaporating anything between the spheres it has a high chance of destroying the lattice and ruining the color. I may try filling the structure with silica though, I'll have to go look at that paper. Not thinking I bought a liter of TEOS, might as well use it.

[@TrustTheFrog]

I cannot believe this video blew right past me. This is just absolutely incredible and i am in such awe about it. This is seriously going to help me in ways you cannot imagine.

[@phoenixthedragon6798]

18:39 he's so excited because the red shift means he's doing the thing correctly. It's adorable and I'm here for it

[@GunGryphon]

This series gets me really excited. Would nanospheres be effective if suspended in Vinyl or TPU sheets? I've painted flexible TPU 3d prints by mixing a slurry of scrap TPU dissolved in DMSO and pigment powders. These materials are really durable and the the pigments can never flake off (they're literally embedded in the surface). If we can get a nanosphere surface bonded to a pliable roll of material it will greatly help the application process. Love the work!

[@Nighthawkinlight]

It's possible that could work! I'm not sure about the emission spectrum of vinyl or tpu but anything can work if transparent enough at favorable wavelengths

[@D8V1Dx]

So where is my free air conditioning?

[@ResidBabovic]

Uv ir radiation

[@tjthegreat825]

It’s doesn’t allow heat (sun ie. UV radiation) through the light spectrum. Thus not allowing the heat to penetrate the windows which are one of the biggest problems about heat and cooling period.

[@HeyChickens]

I haven't even watched most of your video yet, but I am already just as excited as you about everything I am about to learn! You have a way of teaching scientific things that goes beyond just teaching X's and O's- you show us how to feel like a child again, excited and eager to learn. And at the same time you are always humbly giving credit to the sources that inspired your experience. Anytime in the future you are arduously working to produce another video, remember that your videos go far beyond teaching- they show us how to feel excited about learning. They make us happy, because we feel the positive vibes you give off. Thank you so much for giving us these wonderful videos!

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Thank you, that's a very kind comment

[@JessWLStuart]

Your complete joy at your success is infectious!

[@robertweekes5783]

Fidel Castro is a lot more chill these days.

[@devainian]

Needs to get his son in check. 😂

[@MS-yz7sr]

Lol, that's jokes. I like this guy though.

[@jamesreynolds1275]

😂😂

[@dziban303]

Ted Cruz making opal for youtube

[@otterconnor942]

Why do I want him to see this

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Heh. That’s pretty funny.

[@dziban303]

@@otterconnor942 Lol I make a similar comment on every video, I think he's replied in the past. His secret is out

[@mikebond6328]

He does look a little like ted cruz but thankfully that’s where the similarities end.

[@yosefafriat5724]

Managerial outcomes

[@Blaze-wx8li]

Great video!!! Thank you for being an honest person and crediting the thought emporium! I love all of your content, and I appreciate that you are a decent human being.

[@vipjevipje5873]

That's amazing! I remember my school teacher once said: If you're on the last chapter of the physics books, you're just on the first chapter on the chemistry books. Meaning, understanding chemistry is far more complex than physics. It looks like you understand both! Well done here and please continue surprising us from our lazy chairs.

[@KarlAdams-ly5pi]

Such a joy your channel is! You're enthusiasm is adorable.

[@EntropyOfTime]

your videos are so awesome. Thank you for taking the time to share them.

[@TylerMWeather9102]

The brownian motion in your spheres solutions is so beautiful

[@ramseydarkstar]

I am excited to see where this goes. And the applications it could be used for.

[@trapdoorguppi]

Your excitement is super contagious!! I’m so excited for you!!! This is amazing!!

[@rkent6858]

The joy you have at each in every success makes this videos so great. Keep up the good work I love your content!

[@pewpandagamermom]

I love your videos....the trial and error, the explanations, and how excited you get! Great work!

[@Sainty-0]

One of the coolest projects you've ever done. I love this stuff and I hope you keep trying to make better opals!

[@johannaverplank4858]

Your joy gave me joy. Thank you!

[@chadyways8750]

you know what i hate youtube unsubscribing me from channels i've been subscribed to for 10 years and then slotting them in my recommended

[@butterflysrage]

Came for the free air conditioning, stayed for the pure joy of the host making something cool :)

[@Flying_V_]

Amazing video, the lack of script made it even better. It felt like we are learning alongside you as you try the reactions!

[@XothKubo]

I love seeing your joy at this reaction!

[@joshuaalexander3618]

I wish you could have heard my 8 year old son geeking out over the first shots of the blue opal! Thanks again, Nighthawk!

[@mvadu]

You have a knack of explaining stuff that makes even hardcore science approachable.. Please keep up the great work!

[@abturska]

I've never seen your videos before, but am a huge fan of The Thought Emporium! I really loved this - instant subscribe for me and I'm only 20 minutes through. So excited to see where this video goes and to follow your future projects!!!

[@wildbill9863]

Your excitement is our excitement I was so excited with you Super proud of you man Keep up the great work I'll be here watching

[@kevinbledsoe4425]

Wow , love Opal , I have been to the Opal mines in NW Nevada maybe 20 times over 15 years . I gotta try this , I could think of at least 20 experiments to do with this .. Very cool , just amazing really - thank you for the video - can’t wait for the next

[@turpentinetree]

17:27 I almost spilled my coffee on keybord (because of the excitement) :D Congrats!!

[@theafro]

Great to hear you been busy mate! Have fun with your new-minted nerd!

[@DylanODonnell]

Ben I've been subbed for years and this was one of the best videos! Your enthusiasm is genuine and the process itself is compelling (which is why I'm slightly addicted to Nilered's videos too). Thought Emporium is such a fun channel so good to hear you watch also! Thanks for this one.. really nice exegesis between the steps and I love how you didn't script it and left the mistakes in. I know they're hard to edit out anyway when you're filming end to end but it works well and I feel like I'm discovering with you.