[NewCandle] Return of the son of aluminosquid

[Keith Nagel]

Hey Nick,

Those last pics really helped me to understand what is going 
on with the squid. 

You write:
>The auto-electrolysis of the system apparently begins quickly,
> because within about 2 hours, the green yellow hue was seen,
> as it had been the first time.

That must be free iodine.

>The anemonies also seem to love to grow around larger pinholes.

That's an anodic site

>The forms are generally stoichiometric K-I-Al, however near
> the bases of the anemonies, they are more K-I than Al.

I think iodine is plating out of the solution at the anodic site.
This must be reacting with the potassium and aluminum to form
an insoluble compound. It looks to be squeezing out of that
anodic hole in the oxide layer like toothpaste out of a tube! 

>Now here is another fascinating aspect.  The anemonie / squid are
> conductive enough that I don't have to gold coat them to get photos...
> however by the optical microscope, they are glassy clear white -
> like delicate coral made of glass.

So what is this mystery compound? If the at % values are correct,
that leads to the ionically impossible AlKI... How confident can
we be in the numbers? 

>By the time full hydrolysis and consumption of Al foil begins,
> the forms are apparently destroyed.

Something must be allowing the compound to become soluble.
Does the pH of the solution change?  Or does it just dissolves slowly
over time?

K.