Study of crystal growth using in-situ observation of temperature and velocity

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13865
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biological physics/Chemical physics/Soft matter physics
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Kurita Rei 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (20579908)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 可視化 / 結晶成長 / 非平衡現象

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is important for understanding non-equilibrium phenomena such as crystal growth to visualize a temperature field and a velocity field. The velocity can be visualized when latex particles are mixed in a sample. However, the image contrast is weak due to an isotropic shape of the latex particles. Then we create the ellipsoidal particles by stretching the latex particles. By using this ellipsoidal particles, we succeed to visualize the velocity of the 3 dimensional convection from the top view.
In addition, we also investigate the crystal morphology during evaporation of a solution. We mixed the latex particles with the solution. Edges of the solution droplet are pinned by the latex, which is called coffee-ring effect. We found several morphology appear by pinning the edge of the solution.

Free Research Field

ソフトマター