Is it Possible to Make an MWIR Lens from Melted Table Salt?

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The discussion centers on the feasibility of creating a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) lens using table salt, which is noted for its transparency in that spectrum. The primary concern is the safety of melting table salt, with questions about whether it will simply melt or if it will decompose or react when heated. The conversation also explores the potential for the melted salt to solidify into a monolithic structure without advanced methods like the Kyropoulos technique. Additionally, there is interest in practical approaches using household materials to achieve this goal, with references to relevant research papers, including a free resource on the Czochralski method. The discussion highlights the challenges of growing a large, uniform crystal and the potential for alternative methods to create a usable lens.
Artlav
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I was thinking of making an MWIR lens from table salt, which is quite transparent for it.
That needs a big, monolithic cylinder of salt - 3x1 cm.
Now, growing it the classic-oversaturated-solution way would take forever, if feasible at all.
And i want to try to just melt some salt and cast the piece that way.

So, primary question - what kind of safety concerns are there about heating up and melting table salt?
Would it just melt, or start decomposing/reacting somehow?

And a secondary question - is there a point?
That is, would it solidify into something monolithic without using Kyropoulos method or similar?

Bonus question - given the goal above and a set of household materials, how would you proceed to achieve it?
 
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It should work. There are some relating papers but most of them are fee-based. Here is a free paper with a brief description of a Czochralski method:

http://144.206.159.178/ft/566/62884/1067612.pdf

You can also buy finished crystals:

http://www.2spi.com/catalog/submat/substr.shtml
 
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