ENTROPY OF CRYSTALLIZATION OF MATERIALS FROM A MOLTEN SUBLATTICE OF SUPERIONIC CONDUCTORS

It is shown that the entropy of crystallization of materials (such as Cu, Ag, Au, and Li) in a ''molten'' sublattice of superionic conductor s-->crystal system may substantially exceed the entropy of crystalliza tion of the same materials from a melt. The observed behavior explains the known tendency of various superionic conductors to form filamenta ry crystals (whiskers) in the solid phase, together with the completel y different structure of these whiskers. (C) 1998 American Institute o f Physics.