6533b82cfe1ef96bd128fe70
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Microstructural modifications resulting from the dehydration of gypsum
Jean-claude MutinPierre BracconiPhilippe DufourErnst-michael Sipplesubject
Scanning electron microscopeChemistryOrders of magnitude (temperature)MineralogyCrystal growthGeneral ChemistryCondensed Matter PhysicsMicrostructurelaw.inventionSurface tensionCrackingOptical microscopelawmental disordersGeneral Materials ScienceComposite materialPseudomorphdescription
Various faces of dehydrated gypsum-cleaved blocks and single crystals have been investigated using optical microscopy, SEM, and TEM. The orientation of the cracks with respect to the initial gypsum structure and the Miller indices of all possible crack planes have been determined. These crack planes have been found to be few and to correspond to planes of high atomic density in the initial and final structures, therefore characterised by a low surface tension. These observations allow us to propose cracking criteria based on general concepts of crystal growth. The cracks' dimensions measured on different faces of the pseudomorph are distributed over several orders of magnitude and seems to be self-similar.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-05-01 | Solid State Ionics |