Seed crystal
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A seed crystal is a small piece of
polycrystal material from which a large crystal
of typically the same material is grown in a laboratory. Used to replicate material, the use of seed crystal to promote growth avoids the otherwise slow randomness of natural crystal growth and allows manufacture on a scale suitable for industry.
Crystal enlargement
The large crystal can be
supersaturated solution
, into molten material that is then cooled, or by growth on the seed face by passing vapor of the material to be grown over it.
Theory
The theory behind this effect is thought to derive from the physical intermolecular interaction that occurs between compounds in a supersaturated
crystal lattice will be referred to as nucleation
. Seeding is therefore said to decrease the necessary amount of time needed for nucleation to occur in a recrystallization process.
Uses
One example where a seed crystal is used to grow large
Bridgman technique
are employed.
Also during the process of
tempering chocolate, seed crystals can be used to promote the growth of favorable type V crystals[1]
See also
- Crystal structure
- Crystallization
- Laser heated pedestal growth
- Micro-pulling-down
- Polycrystal
- Single crystal
- Wafer (electronics)
- Disappearing polymorphs
References
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