Epitaxy of Calcite on Mica

• Published in: Crystal growth & design Vol. 10; no. 2; pp. 734 - 738
• Main Authors: Stephens, Christopher J, Mouhamad, Youmna, Meldrum, Fiona C, Christenson, Hugo K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington,DC American Chemical Society 03.02.2010
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; General studies of phase transitions; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nucleation; Physics; Theory and models of film growth; Crystallites; Epitaxial layers; Nucleation; Calcium; Epitaxy; Calcium carbonate; Humidity; Growth mechanism; Cleavage; Calcite; Mica

We report for the first time the conditions under which oriented overgrowth of calcite occurs on muscovite mica. Calcite grows in a (001) orientation parallel to the basal cleavage plane on mica surfaces that have been weathered at ambient humidity (35−40%) for periods of at least 1 h, but no epitax...