Possibility of Conversion from a Stable Phase to a Metastable Phase by Grinding Crystals

We study a theoretical possibility of conversion from stable crystals to metastable ones under grinding, by means of a generalized Becker–Döring model. When acceleration of crystal growth via clusters is effective, the metastable phase dominates and the stable phase vanishes if the relative excess of the metastable crystals to the stable ones is large enough in the initial state.