SURFACE-STRUCTURE AND MORPHOLOGY OF CALCIUM-CARBONATE POLYMORPHS CALCITE, ARAGONITE, AND VATERITE - AN ATOMISTIC APPROACH

Atomistic simulation techniques have been employed to investigate the effect of molecular adsorption of water on the low-index surfaces of c alcite, aragonite, and vaterite. Calculated surface and hydration ener gies agree with experiment and previous calculations where available. Known experimental surface features are reproduced, i.e., 1 x 1 symmet ry and structural features of the calcite {10 (1) over bar 4} surface and bulk termination of the {10 (1) over bar 1} and {11 (2) over bar 0 } surfaces. Surface carbonate groups tend to rotate to lie flat in the surface. The morphologies of the hydrated crystals agree with experim entally found morphologies. The bulk lattice energies of the polymorph s reflect their thermodynamic stability.