Flow-driven crystal growth of lithium phosphate in microchannels

Abstract

<p>Flow-driven asymmetric growth of lithium phosphate in the presence of concentration gradients in a microchannel.</p>

Chemical Garden Membranes in Temperature-Controlled Microfluidic Devices

“…This injection method allowed the identification of distinct growth regimes as well as systematic measurements of shape parameters and growth speeds in terms of well-defined parameters . It also formed the basis of recent studies that investigated chemical garden growth under spatial confinement created by Hele-Shaw cells, − glass capillaries, and microfluidic channels. − …”

Formation and growth of lithium phosphate chemical gardens

“…The tubes consist of lithium phosphate; the carbonate concentration due to impurities in the basic solution does not reach the level required for the formation of lithium carbonate because of its greater solubility. 38 The microstructures of the inner and the outer surfaces of the tube are shown in Fig. 2(b–e).…”

“…The density and the viscosity of the solutions were measured using a digital density meter (Anton Paar DMA500) with 10 −4 g/cm 3 precision and rotational viscometer (Anton Paar ViscoQC 300) with 1.0 % precision, respectively. The images were then analyzed using specially designed macro 38 of ImageJ and other in-house programs to construct the growth profile in height and volume, and the diameter of the tube at the tip of the precipitate structure. To determine the volume of the tube, we first converted the images into binary form, then found the centroid, i.e., the center of mass.…”

“…The images were then analyzed using a specially designed macro 38 of ImageJ and other in-house programs to construct the growth profile in height and volume, and the diameter of the tube at the tip of the precipitate structure. To determine the volume of the tube, we first converted the images into binary form, and then found the centroid, i.e.…”

Nucleation kinetics of lithium phosphate precipitation

“…In many experiments the reactants are initially spatially separated and injection brings them into contact, in which case the pumping order can also change the morphology of the formed crystals, as observed for cerium phosphate 20 or in reverse chemical gardens. 21,22 Hence, the method of mixing [11][12][13][14]20,23 as well as the strength of agitation 24 significantly contributes to the reaction conditions that determine the resultant crystal properties. The external control of transport processes allows the fine tuning of the time scales associated with them.…”