Morphology of α′_H‐Ca₂SiO₄ Solid Solution Crystals

Abstract

Single crystals of α′L‐(Sr0.3Ca1.7)SiO4 with well‐developed smooth faces were grown by heating at 1473 K in a SrCl2 flux. A euhedral prismatic crystal ∼200 μm ×∼300 μm ×∼1000 μm in size was selected and examined by the combined use of the precession method and scanning electron microscope. Because the crystal developed within the stable temperature region of the α′H‐phase, the faces were successfully identified as {111}, {011}, and {021} on the basis of the former α′H‐phase lattice. The faces {011} and {021} constitute a zone with the zone axis [100], which was parallel to the elongation direction of the crystal. A similar morphology was confirmed for the belite crystals in a belite–gehlenite clinker, which were crystallized out of a melt within the stable temperature region of the α′H‐phase.