Multiple Pathways in NaCl Homogeneous Crystal Nucleation

NaCl crystal nucleation from metastable solutions has long been considered to occur according to a single-step mechanism where the growth in the size and crystalline order of the emerging nuclei...

X-ray characterization of physical-vapor-transport-grown bulk AlN single crystals

AlN slices from bulk crystals grown under low thermomechanical stress conditions via the physical vapor transport (PVT) method were analyzed by X-ray methods to study the influence of the growth mode on the crystal quality. Defect types and densities were analyzed along axial [0001] as well as lateral growth directions. X-ray diffraction (0110) rocking-curve mappings of representative wafer cuts reveal a low mean FWHM of 13.4 arcsec, indicating the generally high crystal quality. The total dislocation density of 2 × 103 cm−2 as determined by X-ray topography is low and dislocations are largely threading edge dislocations of b = 1/3〈1120〉 type. The absence of basal plane dislocations in homogeneous crystal regions void of macroscopic defects can be linked to the low-stress growth conditions. Under the investigated growth conditions this high crystal quality can be maintained both along the axial [0001] direction and within lateral growth directions. Exceptions to this are some locally confined, misoriented grains and defect clusters, most of which are directly inherited from the seed or are formed due to the employed seed fixation technique on the outer periphery of the crystals. Seed-shaping experiments indicate no apparent kinetic limitations for an enhanced lateral expansion rate and the resulting crystal quality, specifically with regard to the growth mode on a-face facets.

New Insights into Crystallization of Heterophasic Isotactic Polypropylene by Fast Scanning Chip Calorimetry

The crystallization kinetics of metallocene-catalyzed heterophasic isotactic polypropylene composed of a matrix of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and rubbery particles made of random ethylene–propylene copolymers (EPC), often denoted as heterophasic iPP copolymers, was analyzed as a function of the cooling rate and supercooling in nonisothermal and isothermal crystallization experiments, respectively. Fast scanning chip calorimetry (FSC) allowed assessing crystallization at processing-relevant conditions, and variation of the content (0–39 wt %) and composition (0–35 wt % propylene counits) of the EPC particles revealed qualitatively new insight about mechanisms of heterogeneous crystal nucleation. For neat iPP homopolymer, the characteristic bimodal temperature dependence of the crystallization rate due to predominance of heterogeneous and homogeneous crystal nucleation at high and low temperatures, respectively, is reconfirmed. At high temperatures, in heterophasic iPP, the here studied ethylene-(C2)-rich EPC particles accelerate crystallization of the iPP-matrix, with the acceleration or nucleation efficacy correlating with the EPC-particle content. The crystallization time reduces by more than half in presence of 39 wt % EPC particles. An additional nucleating effect of the EPC particles on iPP-matrix crystallization is detected after their crystallization, suggesting that liquid/rubbery particles are less effective than solid/semicrystalline particles in affecting crystallization of the surrounding iPP-matrix. At low temperature, homogeneous crystal nucleation in the iPP-matrix outpaces all heterogeneous nucleation effects, and the matrix-crystallization rate is independent of the sample composition. The obtained results lead to the conclusion that the crystallization kinetics of iPP can be affected significantly by the content and composition of EPC particles, even towards superfast crystallizing iPP grades.

Impurities and Homogeneous Crystal Nucleation in Aqueous Solutions - An Overview

Nucleation process is the most important stage in the formation of a crystal and has attracted the attention of researchers due to its importance in many technological and biological contexts. As the presence of impurities affects the nucleation process significantly, several studies have been made in the past to understand it. In this article is presented an overview of various studies made to understand the effect of soluble impurities on the crystal nucleation parameters of certain important materials in aqueous solution focusing the results reported by the research group of the present author.

Minerals assotiations and compositional heterogeneity of zircon from miaskite-carbonatite complex of the Vishnevye mountains, South Urals

In alkaline rocks, pegmatites and carbonatites of the Vishnevye Mountains, zircons co-crystallized with rock-forming silicates (feldspars, nepheline, annite, etc.), as well as with some other minerals (pyrochlore, magnetite, ilmenite, apatite, monazite, calcite, etc.) and cannot be ascribed to metacrystals. The morphology of zircon crystals (their cut and habit) varies from dipyramidal (in miaskites) to short prismatic (in biotite syenites), from dipyramidal to prismatic in alkaline pegmatites, and with a combination of dipyramids in carbonatites, which is explained by variation in alkalinity of mineral-forming conditions from early alkaline (miaskits) to less alkaline (syenites) and alkaline (carbonatites). Zonal and zonal-sectorial zircon crystals with variations in the HfO2 content are dominant and relatively homogeneous crystal rarely occur. In diferent zircon crystals, the HfO2 content of peripheral zones either increases or decreases and unevenly vary. Sectorial composition of zircon is mostly related to distinct HfO2 contents of peripheral zones of prisms {100}, {110} and dipyramid {111} and {221}. The reserves of zircon of are ~75 kt and possible resources are >100 kt.

Heterogeneous versus homogeneous crystal nucleation of hard spheres

Heterogeneous nucleation at the cell walls may at least partly explain the reported discrepancy between experimental measurements and simulation estimates of the homogeneous nucleation rate.