The effect of surface potential on the growth and dissolution rate dispersion of boric acid

Abstract Growth and dissolution rates of the boric acid crystals were measured in the case of supersaturation and undersaturation in a batch single crystal cell. Boric acid shows the growth and dissolution rate dispersion in all levels of the supersaturation and undersaturation. In both the growth and dissolution regions, dispersion of boric acid crystals were found to be controlled by negatively charged surface formed by specific anion adsorption. Boric acid seed crystals with same size but different surface potential were classified by an electrostatic separator and used in the measurement of the crystal growth rates. It was determined that high surface charge dominates the crystal growth and dissolution rate. Dispersion in the growth and dissolution rates were explained by surface potential distribution.