Behavior of phosphate and ammonium ions in forming and melting spherical ice crystals

Inclusion phenomena of phosphate and ammonium ions in ice crystals and the behavior of both ions dissolved from the melting ice crystals were investig ated experimentally. The experiment was performed by forming spherical ice crystals from a solution containing phosphate and ammonium ions, and by mel ting them. At the formation of spherical ice crystals, large amounts of pho sphate and ammonium ions were included near the center of the ice crystals. At melting, the concentration of both ions in the initially eluated soluti on was somewhat higher than in the solution eluated later. Some adsorption experiments for both ions on the surface of ice spheres were also performed in order to interpret the inclusion and dissolution behavior qualitatively .