Additive Enhanced Creeping of Sodium Chloride Crystals

This article investigates the mechanism behind the creeping of sodium chloride induced by additives. Here, an experimental approach is complemented with theoretical considerations to describe how creeping patterns of brine evolve and how the introduction of additives into the solution affects the morphology of the resultant crystals. We have found that these additives cause kinetic roughening and morphological instability mainly due to the reduction of surface free energy. There was also a marked increase in three-dimensional nucleation of the NaCl crystals and thus branching.