Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol.207, No.1, 119-127, 1998
Observation of oriented close-packed lattice planes in polycrystalline hard-sphere solids
We report time-resolved Bragg scattering experiments on solidifying colloidal suspensions of hard spheres. The polar angle-averaged, integrated intensity of the (111) and (311) reflections show a transient, two-step behavior below melting, which depends in a complex way on the volume fraction and is not present for (200) or (220). Detailed analysis of the full two-dimensional scattering pattern reveals intensity maxima of sixfold symmetry close to the position of the (111) and (311) Debye-Scherrer rings. These can be explained assuming oriented crystals with close-packed planes parallel to the container walls. We show that the observed temporal behavior is due to competing homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation and growth scenarios.
Keywords:COLLOIDAL SPHERES;MOLECULAR-DYNAMICS;STACKING DISORDER;GLASS-TRANSITION;CRYSTALLIZATION;CRYSTALS;SUSPENSIONS;SCATTERING;GROWTH;SYSTEM