Page 15 - Demo

Slippery Rock Gazette
September 2022 | 15
The Stone Detective
The Case of the Marble Eater
“There is a rank due to the United States among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our ris- ing prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.” —George Washington (1793)
Continued from page 11
Neutralizers
Here is a little chemistry lesson. If marble is dissolved in water, it becomes alkaline, which means it increases the pH level of the water. Acid, which is low pH, can be neutralized when marble is added. Marble can be used to increase pH, so it can serve as a neutral- izer in swimming pools. It is also used by water treatment plants and other chemical industries.
Your Meds
Many prescription and over the counter drugs use pow- dered marble as a filler. Yes, really. So the next time you need to take a pill, chances are you will be ingesting some marble.
Paint and Craft Additives
Marble powders are pop- ular in many types of paint, as well as acrylic modeling paste, glue base gesso, and all water and oil dispersed paints.
Carbonated Beverages
Have you ever wondered why there is a tiny explosion when you pop open a can of soda? During the manufacturing process, a can is filled with CO2 (carbon diox- ide) dissolved in water. When the can is sealed, the pressure causes a chemical reaction to take place, resulting in carbonic acid. The sound you hear when you open the can is caused by carbonic acid returning to the form of CO2 dissolved in water. The carbonic acid that is used in soda is derived from marble.
Chalk
Sidewalk and blackboard chalk used to be made of mar- ble, but these days, most chalk manufacturers use gypsum.
Marcite and Plasters
Marcite, a sprayed-on coating that is applied to built-in swim- ming pools, contains marble dust. Many plasters also contain mar- ble dust as their main ingredient.
Groceries
Products containing marble, such as baking powder, tooth- paste, dry dessert mixes, dough, and wine are for sale in your local grocery store. The next time you look at a list of ingredients and you see the word calcium, the product likely contains marble.
Carbon Capture Technology
A study by Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research reports that one of the most prom- ising technologies to reduce global emissions of carbon diox- ide (CO2) is called calcium looping. The process involves scrubbing CO2 from flue gases by using calcium-oxide-based sorbents. Can you guess what those calcium-oxide-based sor- bents are? That’s right. Waste marble powder.
......
Several days later I heard that
the little boy was OK, and that his acid reflux had been cured.
Another case solved. Who says doctors don’t make house calls, anymore?
The Stone Detective is a fic- tional character created by Dr. Frederick M. Hueston, PhD, writ- ten to entertain and educate. Dr. Fred has written over 33 books on stone and tile installations, fabri- cation and restoration and also serves as an expert for many legal cases across the world. Fred has also been writing for the Slippery Rock for over 20 years.
Send your comments to fhueston@stoneforensics.com.