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Iodine Blocks (How to make your own.)

The following has been provided by Gert Pieters.

Ingredients required are:
Plaster of Paris
Kelp (Ask for Vital Kelp - 100 tablets)
Salt
Water
The Plaster of Paris and Kelp are obtainable from Dis-Chem in South Africa.

Amounts needed:
1,5 kilogram Plaster of Paris
5 Kelp tablets
1 teaspoon of salt
3 litres of water

Other items needed:
Paper clips or wire for Iodene block hook
Ice trays or other mould

Preparation:
Mix 3 litres of water and add 5 Kelp tablets. Let it stand for 30 minutes or until pills have disolved.

Mixture:
Take the Kelp water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
Mix 1,5 kilograms of Plaster of Paris into the Kelp water.
Note: To make the blocks harder use less water or more Plaster of Paris.

Additional Ingredients:
You can add grit and charcoal to the above mix if you like.

Making Iodine Blocks:
Pour mixture into ice trays or moulds.
Wait for a few minutes and when mixture starts to set insert clips or wires.
Let it stand for one day.
Remove from ice trays or moulds and let it stand a further day.
Use as required.

Comment:
Note that the above makes about the following amount of Iodine blocks:
64 x Large ice tray blocks plus
3 x 500 gram blocks.