Precipitation from a reactive silicate on MgO

Abstract

For this paper, high-temperature interactions between a reactive silicate liquid and the (001) surface of a MgO single crystal were studied. The paper discusses the influence of the morphology of the MgO surface on both the dewetting of a silicate liquid and the mechanism of precipitation of excess MgO out of this silicate liquid. Alternative pathways were considered for MgO precipitation; it may occur by nucleation and growth of plateaus on the MgO surface or by MgO absorption at surface steps. On flat MgO(001) surfaces, precipitation of MgO from the continuous layer of silicate liquid led to the formation of plateaulike precipitates. Precipitation from disconnected silicate droplets onto stepped MgO(001) surfaces resulted in the growth of ridges at steps on the surface.