Rp. Chiarello et Nc. Sturchio, EPITAXIAL-GROWTH OF OTAVITE ON CALCITE OBSERVED IN-SITU BY SYNCHROTRON X-RAY-SCATTERING, Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 58(24), 1994, pp. 5633-5638
Synchrotron X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction techniques were u
sed to characterize an otavite (CdCO3) overgrowth during its precipita
tion from an aqueous solution onto a calcite (1O $$($) over bar 14) cl
eavage surface. X-ray reflectivity was used to measure the otavite thi
ckness and the roughness of the calcite/otavite and otavite/fluid inte
rfaces. Specular and off-specular X-ray diffraction were used to measu
re the crystallographic orientation and long-range atomic order of the
otavite overgrowth. The otavite grew coherently with a (10 $$($) over
bar 14) growth plane oriented parallel to the calcite (10 $$($) over
bar 14) cleavage surface. The average growth rate of the otavite for t
he first 9 hours was 15 Angstrom.h(-1). During the early growth stage
(less than or equal to 50 Angstrom), the otavite (10 $$($) over bar 14
) lattice spacing (d-value) was compressed by as much 2.2% in the dire
ction perpendicular to the calcite cleavage surface. As the otavite th
ickness increased, this d-value approached that of bulk otavite. At a
thickness of 443 Angstrom, the otavite was determined to be of single-
crystal quality (0.4 degrees mosaic) and epitaxial with calcite. This
study demonstrates a new and accurate approach for measuring in situ p
recipitation rates and growth mechanisms in mineral-fluid systems.