Study of precipitation in NaCl:Pb2+ by light scattering and ultramicroscopy

The formation and dissolution behaviour of precipitates in NaCl : Pb²⁺ single crystals is studied by light scattering and ultramicroscopy. Measurements of Rayleigh ratio together with ultramicroscopic observations during isochronal annealing indicate the presence of two types of precipitates in as-grown crystals. Isochronal annealing after suitable thermal and thermomechanical treatments shows that precipitates of first type (I) which form and dissolve at lower temperatures, are due to homogeneous nucleation. Precipitates of the second category (II) which form and dissolve at higher temperatures are aligned along crystallographic directions and have their origin in stress-assisted processes. Isothermal annealing has been used to study the dissolution kinetics of the precipitated fraction, and it is found that the kinetics is of first order. The enthalpy of solution is determined from a study of the temperature dependence of the kinetic rate constant, in conjunction with available information on the migration energy of Pb²⁺ in NaCl. The enthalpy so deduced is in good agreement with the value as usually obtained from the concentration dependence of the dissolution temperature.