Morphological and solidification studies of the naphthalene-thymol eutectic

Abstract

The mechanism of eutectic solidification of the naphthalene-thymol system has been investigated by spontaneous crystallization, linear velocity of crystallization and microscopic studies. The kinetic data for all the compositions of the system sugg~'sts thai the growth is governed by a screw dislocation mechanism. The diffusion process has been found to be a dominant factor in explaining the decrease in the velocity of crystallization when one component is added to the other and also explains the higher growth rate for the eutectic mixture. Both the kinetic and microscopic Studies confirm the interdependent nature of the growth of the two phases of the eutectic. The two phases grow simultaneously side by side and are controlled by the cross-diffusion ahead of the solid-liquid interface.