Original paper
Calcite bubbles. The control exerted on the bubble size by solubility and interfacial tension
Massaro, Francesco Roberto; Aquilano, Dino
European Journal of Mineralogy Volume 19 Number 3 (2007), p. 339 - 344
published: Jul 2, 2007
Abstract
In our previous studies it was shown that peculiar structures (calcite crystal bubbles) can nucleate at the complex interface between a solid substrate, a gaseous cavity and a supersaturated solution. In this work we aim at changing the size of the calcite bubbles acting on the chemical composition of the solution. This can be achieved because our crystals form around gas cavities whose size is strictly related to the interfacial energy between the liquid and the vapor phase. A comparison between size variation and the surface tension trend of the water-ethanol solutions is described.
Keywords
calcite bubbles • solution growth • interfacial tension • ethanol • crystal size analysis