EFFECT OF LEAD CHLORIDE ON THE GROWTH AND SURFACE PROPERTIES OF POTASSIUM CHLORIDE CRYSTALS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS

Pure potassium chloride (KCl) and lead chloride (PbCl2)-doped KCl crystals were grown from saturated aqueous solutions by a solvent evaporation process. The effects of Pb2+ on the surface morphology, structural and mechanical properties of KCl crystal were investigated. The surface morphology of the cubic structured crystals was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and the elemental mappings at the microstructural level were determined by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The mass growth rate was found to decrease when the Pb2+ ions were present and the volume growth flux was also found to decrease with time and initial concentration of impurity. A Vickers micro-hardness study shows that Pb-doped KCl crystals are harder than pure KCl crystals.