Another Look on Wulff Construction

• Published in: Crystal research and technology (1979) Vol. 52; no. 11
• Main Author: Peev, Nikolay Slavev
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-11-2017
• Subjects: thermodynamics; wulff‐construction
• ISSN: 0232-1300; 1521-4079
• DOI: 10.1002/crat.201700100

The Wulff construction is relation which links the size of the crystal and its anisotropy, given by the surface tensions σi of the different crystal faces. The crystal size is presented by the perpendicular li from point O inside the crystal (the Wulff‐point) to the i−th crystal face. This relation allows to be constructed the equilibrium shape of the crystal, which is the subject of many investigations. In this paper are presented relations allowing the broadening of the use of Wulff construction.
The Wulff coefficient ρ0 links the surface energy σi of the crystal in its i−th crystallographic direction with the distance li of the same wall to the Wulff point O inside the crystal. Investigations have provide that the coefficient might provide very important information concerning the Gibbs free energy needed for formation of the surface of an unit volume of the crystal at equilibrium conditions.