Nucleation of the reaction of single crystals of potassium bromide with chlorine gas

Abstract

Deformation of nominally pure single crystals of potassium bromide (Harshaw) by compression or indentation has no significant effect on the nucleation of their reaction with chlorine gas at room temperature. However, the nucleation rate is increased markedly when the deformation is accompanied by incorporation of impurities into the crystal surface. In these circumstances, the number of nuclei formed per unit free surface is given by N=At³[1–exp (–Ct)], where A and C are constants and t is the time.