The Gel Growth Technique

Autor(en)
Dominik Talla, Andreas Wagner
Abstrakt

The technique of crystal growth in gels has nowadays become somewhat neglected in the scope of earth sciences, to the disadvantage of the experimental mineralogist. Even preparing an inorganic silica gel can prove a challenge to many, let alone successfully configure the entire experiment. Based not only on previous literature but also on our extensive experience, crystals of
many substances, including supergene minerals as reference standards, can be successfully grown in gel, aiding in accomplishing various research goals in earth sciences. Instead of providing the reader with an overwhelming compendium of historical information and theoretical knowledge of
the subject which can be found elsewhere, we presented herein a comprehensive, practically oriented guide to the understanding and successful use of the technique of crystal growth in gels, mentioning, in addition to the general principle, the numerous pitfalls which we encountered during our own
use of the method, and the ways to overcome them. Despite that the procedure is nowadays used mainly for the laboratory synthesis of organic or metal-organic compounds, we believe it to be a valuable asset to any mineralogist, and often, the only way to obtain inorganic reference material of a particular mineral of interest.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Mineralogie und Kristallographie
Externe Organisation(en)
Masaryk University
Journal
Minerals
Band
12
Anzahl der Seiten
22
ISSN
2075-163X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050645
Publikationsdatum
05-2022
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
105116 Mineralogie, 104011 Materialchemie, 105113 Kristallographie
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Geology, Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/8e67d21a-dbea-4330-aa27-0eaee230a601