Crystallization

Crystallization is the process of formation of crystals from gases, solutions, melts or glasses.

In the formation of crystals occurs a phase transition, i.e. the transition of a substance from one thermodynamic phase to another. It starts when reaching some limiting conditions, e.g., hypothermia liquid or vapor supersaturation, when almost instantly there is a lot of small crystals of crystallization centers.

Crystals grow by adding atoms or molecules from liquids or steam. The growth faces of the crystal takes place in layers, the edges of the incomplete atomic layers (steps) with the growth moving along the verge. The dependence of the rate of growth from the crystallization conditions leads to a variety of growth forms and structure of crystals (faceted, lamellar, acicular, skeletal, dendritic and other forms, pencil structures, etc.).

In the crystallization process will inevitably arise various defects.

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