Primitive Technology: Iron Bacteria Cement (no fire/water insoluble)

Primitive Technology: Iron Bacteria Cement (no fire needed/insoluble in water)

Follow Primitive Technology:

Watch More Primitive Technology:

About This Video:
I developed a cement made from iron bacteria, then made pots from it to test its ability to set and not dissolve in water. Iron bacteria lives by oxidizing dissolved iron 2 oxide in the water table, converting it to insoluble iron 3 oxide, which precipitates out of solution forming an orange slime. This material can be concentrated to a paste that can be shaped into objects. After drying out completely, the material becomes insoluble in water just as cement does.

I don't know for sure why it does this but I suspect that while it's wet, there's still some dissolved iron 2 oxide in the material. When air gets to the iron 2 oxide and converts it to iron 3 oxide it precipitates out. It then becomes a solid, cementing itself to the other iron 3 already present. This is probably why iron bacteria sometimes forms solid lumps known as bog ore. Bog ore was once primarily used for smelting into iron but was also occasionally used as a building material (not as a cement but as solid building blocks).

The potential use for this material could be as a cement-like material or mortar used in structures when iron bacteria can be found in large quantities. Fire is not used in the process as is the case with limestone or wood ash cement, and so reduces fuel consumption. It may be an appropriate use for iron bacteria contaminated with mud that might otherwise be unsuitable for smelting. Aggregates such as sand and gravel could also be added to bulk out the volume. More experiments need to be made.

About Primitive Technology:
Primitive technology is a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. These are the strict rules: If you want a fire, use a fire stick - An axe, pick up a stone and shape it - A hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without utilizing modern technology. I do not live in the wild, but enjoy building shelter, tools, and more, only utilizing natural materials. To find specific videos, visit my playlist tab for building videos focused on pyrotechnology, shelter, weapons, food & agriculture, tools & machines, and weaving & fiber.

#PrimitiveTechnology #Cement #Iron

[primitivetechnology]

I came up with the idea of iron bacteria as a cement when I read that bog ore (a solid mineral) was formed from iron bacteria. So I shaped the bacteria into pinch pots and dried them to see if they set hard and wouldn't dissolve in water afterwards (remember no fire was used in this whole process). Surprisingly it worked and formed these water insoluble pots . I'm not sure on the chemistry behind it but I think it's due to water soluble iron 2 oxide in the bacteria becoming water insoluble iron 3 oxide when they dry out and oxidize. This reaction probably causes the material to cement together. It might be a useable mortar where iron bacteria is abundant.

[randynovick]

Bog ore is common in areas of Sweden and Norway. It was an old source of iron for norsemen. The technique for accumulating and smelting it was nearly lost, but got passed along to a few people who were able to write and draw out the fundamental pits and tools necessary to accomplish the task. I like what you have done here. It's very elegant. Thank you.

[romaindelahaye]

Probably the YT channel that I will miss most if it did not exist. It's like having a handyman and engineer who lives in the Neolithic and who makes Vlog. Thank you for your work from the bottom of my heart.

[Ygrku]

I think this dude is the only one on YT that has over 10mil subs yet never ever said a word on his videos.
Kudos to you man and thanks for your uploads. Always a pleasure to get notified by your new uploads!

[supersonictumbleweed]

2:15 if you're wondering, conditions become anoxic because flowing water traps oxygen as it cascades down the stream, standing water does not

[Salbren_boi]

The unique variety of cement the guy has made on this channel is amazing to me. not only has he done actual cement in the video where he makes lime from shells, but he also came out of nowhere with a recipe using woodash, and now he's doing this. When will we have enough lol.

[yahyaakca]

I am glad that you've returned to upload frequently. Always a pleasure watching your videos.

[evanlewis]

Thanks so much for adding the time lapse notes on the new pots. I am usually quite curious about time frames for how long things take to dry or settle in a pot in your videos. If those could be added to more of your experiments that would be wonderful info

[tikzfu]

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to you for posting this, that really meant a lot to me. While watching you bailing water off the top as the bacteria settles to the bottom, it brought back a flood of memories from my childhood. Specifically, I vividly remember watching my grandfather do this very same thing to filter chemicals to process for silver, and I hadn't thought about it in years.

Your video unlocked a core memory from my past that I had almost forgotten, and it was such a powerful and emotional experience for me. I can't thank you enough for bringing that memory back to life and giving me the opportunity to reflect on a time in my life that was so special to me.

So once again, thank you for sharing this video and for helping me reconnect with my past. I truly appreciate it.

[flyingsodwai]

Your editing is masterful. I always know what's going on and understand the process. There's never any fluff or boring exposition. It's never confusing. The fact that there is never any narration makes it all the more impressive. Thanks for your efforts.

[redhead]

"Honey, wake up. Primitive Technology has uploaded again!"

[eli]

This channel's 5+year journey to figure out iron really highlights why the bronze and stone age lasted for so long. Kinda a miracle that we stumbled along as well as we did.

[cirobao]

I did something similar in college. As you dont use instruments. Try a low heat treatment until you notice a volume change, then sintering for as long as you dare (try one at a time, as they might crumble if overheated). If protozoa wth protist shells are present, you might get some interesting results (super hard and light ceramics). Love your content, from Brazil.

[BotulinSpikedMarzipan]

The fact that all of his videos have well over one million views really proves just how legendary he Is. He Is An OG of YouTube and of a trend that only he follows correctly....

[dcuadrados]

Best primitive channel. Love how he doesn't build ridiculous, unrealistic stuff like an entire water park. As someone who was born and raised in the middle of nowhere with no running water or electricity, I can tell you no one in their right mind would spend time and resources on ridiculous stuff like that

[LincDN]

Something I wasn't aware of until recently (was reminded of this since you showed it on the video) is that a slime mold is one giant cell with hundreds if not thousands of nuclei. They're also really smart at finding the best paths to food. In one experiment, a slime mold was used to create a theoretical mass transportation map in Japan by using sources of food to represent population centers. The shape of the slime mold ended up being quite similar to the actually existing mass transit map of Japan.

[mungoman]

I think this guy has made more things using this kind of bacteria than most of us have made using ANY kind of bacteria.

[TStudios]

Look at that snail absolutely zooming around the edge of the pot during the timelapse at 0:44!

[supersophisticated]

Please continue to do more primitive chemistry! It is so useful and it can't really be easily found online!!

[anthonysantacruz]

You’ve changed my life primitive technology. You saw Minecraft and was like, I can live that life no problem. Subscribed