[wotaen]

I'm looking out for options on how to display my element collection. Let's leave out elements that already come sealed in argon filled vials, come under mineral oil or are completely inert (like PGM)
My intention is to have a periodic table-like wooden shelf and in each compartment a little transparent bottle with screw cap on.
In this post, I want to focus on elements that can be exposed to air/humidity for short term period, but will oxydize eventually (iron, aluminium, some alkaline earth metals, rare earth metals...) thus downgrading the samples.
Those samples are all between 10-50 grams, so not particularly something I can easily glass seal in ampoule.

Here are my questions:
1) Is it possible to argon fill glasses like these? http://www.sks-science.com/images/B3000-50LRG.jpg. They say the containers are air tight, but I think the gas will eventually escape, so they would need to be refilled. Can you point me somewhere where they explain the process of filling with argon with detail and ideally in "home" conditions.

2) Do you have any other idea of how to store them other than glass sealing?

Thanks, Michal

[Arkcon]

Well, I think you'd be wasting your time and money if you try to argon seal without doing it right.  Here's an older thread with a different point of view than yours, but may provide some insights.  http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=70185.0

[wotaen]

In that thread, you made some comments on how to argon seal into ampoules. I understand the process and already know that I'm not going to pursue ampoule sealing.

So it really comes back to vials and bottles...is it even possible to do it? Naive idea is to just flush it with stream of argon from a cylinder, hoping that since it's heavier, it'll displace air/humiditiy and stay for a bit until I screw the cap on (1 second?)

[wotaen]

I'm going to reply to myself, should anyone find this...I asked Andrew from RGB this question:

I'd like to be able to put each element in a vial with screw cap. Let's put aside elements that already come sealed under argon/mineral oil. I'm concerned about some less reactive metals. Things like iron, aluminium, some rare earths and so on...all of them will eventually turn dull if exposed to air/humidity for too long (years of display).
I don't want to try ampoule sealing, I don't have the expertise, nor instruments. Instead I wanted to do this and I'd like your expert opinion (basically if it's waste of money

I place a vial to a bigger jar and wash the vial with a good amount of argon from cylinder. My assumption is that since it's heavier, it'll displace air and stay there for a few seconds before I put my speciment in and screw it tight. Bigger jar around the vial will help the gas not to escape too quickly.

Now I don't know if this would actually work. Is the screw cap enough to prevent argon from escaping? I wanted to test this with some humidity sensitive substance (like anhydrous copper sulfate) but I wanted to ask someone first before I spend money on argon cylinder and regulartor.

He replied this:

You should be able to preserve the less reactive metals this way, I have had some preserved in a similar manner for years without deterioration. What I would suggest is to use the big jar as a vessel to fill your vials. Heat the vials first to drive off moisture (that’s what will spoil your iron) and when you screw the lid on, use some plumbers tape or glue the lid on. This will only work with some metals, such as those you suggest. Anything more reactive than magnesium will still tarnish fairly quickly. Your idea for testing with a humidity sensitive material is a good one and should let you get your technique right before risking your samples.

[wotaen]

Got the cylinder and experimented with 0.7 jar. Poured a little bit there, until my match ceased fire just at the top of the jar (because of argon).

Then every 10 seconds or so, I'd try to put in another match to see how much of the gas is gone...for about 30 seconds, the match would die just below the top of the jar. Then each next one, I'd be able to submerge it further down to the jar. After minute or so, it'd burn at the bottom. I think that the smoke from the died match helped argon to escape...but this gave me confidence that I don't need to rush anything and just take my time.

My anhydrous CuSO4 will arrive soon, so I'll continue doing more experiments with plumber tape, perhaps some extra PTFE lining.

 

[vmelkon]

How long are you going to run your anhydrous CuSO4 in a jar experiment?

I think that you are better off buying some large diameter glass tubing and melting it shut on both ends. I have considered using fluorescent tubes for this. Best to do it outside because there is going to be some outgassing of mercury when you heat the glass.

[wotaen]

I'll want to test for at least a month...haven't had time to do it yet though. I'll have a few samples: CuSO4 in air, CuSO4 in a bottle with a non-screw lid on top, CuSO4 in a screwed bottle and lastly screwed bottle with extra Teflon tape around the threading + argon in it.

I didn't want to use tubes - where I can afford it, I'm going for large samples...50-100grams and I can't imagine sealing that big piece.
It's going to be a tradeoff - fairly non-reactive (Al, Fe) - put in jar, semi-reactive (some REM)...depends on how the testing with CuSO4 goes, reactive stuff already comes sealed in vials.

I have some extra borosylicate tubes so I'm going to try to seal some problematic stuff (like Hg).