Crystal Growth In Gels

Among the many methods which the modern crystal grower has at his disposal, growth in gels is probably the most neglected. However, this procedure is uncommonly versatile and can produce crystals with a remarkable degree of perfection.

This study, the first on a newly developed subject, gives a historical survey of gel growth experiments; discusses preparation and structure of gels and factors governing crystal perfection and size; and describes the various methods now in use. All of the current methods depend on the nucleation-limiting properties of gel media and on the effective suppression of convection currents. The author, who is professor of applied physics in Materials Research Laboratory of The Pennsylvania State University, and co-editor of the Materials Research Bulletin, writes with clarity and perception of a field that is gaining increasing interest.

With a wide array of materials still to be seen in crystal form, the professional crystal grower and the talented amateur will find the volume of great interest and use. Since the gel method lends itself to a variety of fundamental studies and can produce crystals unobtainable in other ways, physicists, chemists, and materials scientists will be attracted by its simplicity. Teachers and students will find this an exciting field of modern research which can be pursued without elaborate equipment and facilities.