Kinetic anomalies of crystal growth: Development of methodical approaches and interpretations

Abstract

Crystal growth rate in solutions is characterized by the so-called anomalies in the form of maxima and minima alternating with a change in temperature. This phenomenon was discovered by Sipyagin and Chernov in 1967. To date, it has been found for all thoroughly investigated materials. In this paper, the kinetic anomalies of electrochemical deposition of metals (Cu and Hg) from CuSO4 and Hg(NO3)2 solutions are described for the first time. The data on the growth of CuSO4 · 5H2O crystals in a solution are reported. On the basis of comparison of the characteristics of anomalies for Cu-CuSO4 · 5H2O and Cu-Hg pairs, with due regard for the expected general and different features of the structure of solutions and adsorption layers, it is concluded that this phenomenon is caused by the structural alterations in the bulk of the solution with a significant influence of the adsorption layer.