Abstract: | The solute concentration profiles around KH2PO4 crystals growing or dissoloving in stagnant aqueous solutions were studied by the schlieren method after Toepler. By this technique the thicknesses of concentration boundary layers around the crystals, formed by free convection of solution, were measured in dependence of crystal size and super (under) saturation. In the case of dissolution, theoretical estimation of the boundary layer thickness yielded a fair agreement with the observed value. For growth, the process is dominantly limited by surface kinetics, whereas volume diffusion plays a minor role. |