脂肪酸の結晶成長 : I. ステアリン酸

The growth patterns on the as-grown surfaces of stearic acid single crystals obtained from benzene solution were observed by optical and electron microscope.

Optically, many kinds of growth spiral steps were detected, providing the validity of the spiral growth theory in the case of this solution growth of stearic acid. The modulation of growth steps were observed and explained by the effect of the impurities, which had been included in the solution. Further observations by an electron microscope of replica method have clarified that the growth spirals detected by an optical microscope are the macro spiral consisted of more than ten single steps and that there are many single spirals around the center of the macrospiral.