Figure 2.04. Crystallization of a supercooled solution of MgCl2. Click on the image to see a real time video of crystals growing. The MgCl2 solution was boiling at 145°C in a 250-mL flask, removed from a hotplate, and cooled in air. After several minutes when the temperature reaches about 95°C, a sheathed thermocouple is dipped into the supercooled liquid. Bischofite (MgCl2•6H2O) crystals nucleate on the thermocouple wire and grow rapidly in a radial pattern. Video from Brady (2009).