A software program to investigate the nucleation kinetics of solution grown crystals using MATLAB platform

摘要

A software program has been developed on the MATLAB platform, which is useful for studying the nucleation kinetics of crystals grown from solutions. Nucleation parameters such as interfacial energy (σ), metastable zone width (ΔT_(max)), volume free energy (ΔG_v), critical energy barrier for nucleation (ΔG~?), radius of the critical nucleus (r~?) and nucleation rate (J) of the crystals are determined from classical nucleation theory. The Metastable Zone Width (MZW) of the crystals is explored by using the relation based on solubility and enthalpy of nucleation. A new polynomial equation has been generated by this software program, and the results are checked with the experimental data of crystal growth/formation. Nucleation temperature as a function of supersaturation ratio was successfully evaluated using MZW. The equation relating to the nucleation kinetics and MZW can easily be solved with the help of a newly designed software program in the MATLAB platform. In addition, a program has been developed that highlights changes in nucleation parameters when the supersaturation ratio is changed. A plot of temperature vs energy barrier, nucleation rate and interfacial energy is also drawn.