Growth of calcite crystals from a molten flux by slow cooling

Claim 1

A SLOW COOL METHOD OF GROWING ARTIFICIAL CALCITE COMPRISING: ADDING TO A CONTAINED VOLUME A MIXTURE OF CALCIUM CARBONATE AND A FLUX MATERIAL CAPABLE OF FORMING A EUTECTIC MIXTURE WTIH CALCIUM CARBONATE SUCH THAT THE LOWEST MELTING POINT OF SAID MIXTURE IS THE EUTECTIC POINT, SAID FLUX BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LITHIUM CARBONATE, LITHIUM NITRATE, CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND A MIXTURE OF POTASSIUM CARBONATE WITH LITHIUM CARBONATE IN WHICH SAID POTASIUM CARBONATE COMPRISES ABOUT 35 TO 85% BY WEIGHT THEREOF; SAID FLUX MATERIAL BEING OF SUCH COMPOSITION THAT SOME PROPORTIONATE MIXTURES OF CALCIUM CARBONATE THEREWITH HAVE MELTING POINTS BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF CALCIUM CARBONATE AND ABOVE THE SOLIDUS TEMPERATURE OF ANY INTERMEDIATE PHASES WHICH WHICH MAY FORM BETWEEN THE FLUX AND CALCIUM CARBONATE; SAID CALCIUM CARBONATE BEING PROVIDED IN SAID CONTAINED VOLUME IN A PROPORTIONAL AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THAT PROPORTIONAL MIXTURE HAVING THE LOWEST MELTING POINT; HEATING SAID CONTAINED VOLUME TO AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CONTAINED VOLUME AT A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS ABOVE SAID LOWEST MELTING POINT AND BELOW THE DECEOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF BOTH THE CALCIUM CARBONATE AND THE FLUX, SO THAT AT LEAST SOME LIQUID CONTAINING SOME CALCIUM CARBONATE, IS PRESENT IN SAID VOLUME; SLOWLY COOLING AT A RATE LESS THAN ABOUT 5*C. PER HOUR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID CONTAINED VOLUME WHICH INCLUDES A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID LIQUID TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE BUT ABOVE THE EUTECTIC TEMPERATURE OF THE PARTICULAR PROPORTIONAL LIQUID MIXTURE THEREIN, SO THAT SAID SUBSTANTIAL PART BECOMES SLOWLY SUPERSATURATED WITH RESPECT TO CALCIUM CARBONATE; THEREBY CAUSING SAID SUPERSATURATED CALCIUM CARBONATE TO CRYSTALLIZE OUT IN SAID PART TO FORM AT LEAST ONE CALCITE CRYSTAL.