Autodeformation bending of gypsum crystals grown under the conditions of counterdiffusion

The dynamics and kinetics of growth-induced bending of gypsum crystals grown from solution have been studied. Crystallization was performed by the method of chemical reaction under the conditions of component counterdiffusion. It is established that autodeformation bending occurs in the [001] direction at the growth front and is caused by cationic impurities. The crystal curvature depends on the anisotropy of growth rate and increases at lower supersaturations. The mechanism of growth-induced crystal bending is suggested which takes into account the heterometry stresses providing the appearance of a bending moment at the growth front.