UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE INGENIERIA

Facultad de Ingeniera Geolgica, Minera y Metalrgica

Escuela Profesional de Ingeniera Metalrgica

1.

What does the equilibrium state correspond?. In the equilibrium state is it possible
to occur growth or dissolution of a crystal?. Explain.
The equilibrium state corresponds to the state when the exchange of heat and
mass between the starting material and the product becomes zero at the interface
of the two phases. This corresponds to the state where neither temperature nor
degree of concentration (through cooling or evaporation) changes at a given point
on a solubility curve on the phase diagram of a solution system. In this situation,
neither growth nor dissolution of a crystal occurs. To achieve growth or
dissolution of a crystal, it is necessary to attain a situation away from the
equilibrium state, either by lowering the temperature or by concentrating the
component by evaporation.

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE INGENIERIA

Facultad de Ingeniera Geolgica, Minera y Metalrgica
Escuela Profesional de Ingeniera Metalrgica
2.

Explain the following figure.

Is a schematic diagram showing only one crystallographic direction. Below the driving
force condition /kT*, the spiral growth mechanism is the controlling mechanism,
and a polyhedral crystal bounded by flat faces is expected. Above /kT**, the
interface will be rough, the growth mechanism will be of adhesive-type, and a
dendritic morphology is expected. In the region between /kT*, and /kT**, a
hopper morphology is expected due to the two-dimensional nucleation mechanism. In
this way, coherent logic has been established between dendritic and polyhedral
morphologies of crystals, which were regarded as entirely independent problems at the
early stages of study of the morphology of crystals. This range of morphology, from
polyhedral to dendritic, is exhibited by single crystals. If /kT increases further, the
rate of nucleation increases, resulting in the aggregation of many crystals. Depending
on the conditions, spherical polycrystalline aggregates will appear due to radiating
growth from a center. In the process of formation of a spherulitic, divergent, bow-tie,
or semi-spherulitic morphology, either polycrystalline aggregates will be formed, or a
random polycrystalline aggregation will appear.