Morphology Change of Nitratine (NaNO3) from Aqueous Solution, in the Presence of Li+ and K+ Ions

It is usually accepted that the nitratine (NaNO3) growth morphology is built by only the {10.4} form. In a previous paper, we noticed that it can be changed by addition of selected impurities. Accordingly, a deeper study was carried out to fix the conditions for nitratine morphology change in aqueous solutions by the addition of impurities. We used standard crystallization methodologies: constant crystallization temperature (from supersaturated solutions) and slow evaporation. Both K+ and Li+ ions can modify the nitratine growth shape. Additionally, in order to understand the shape change, we studied the crystal growth rate behavior of {10.4} faces in the presence of these ions and found that it shows a sudden decrease when an impurity is added. Finally, a simple model is proposed to describe how the morphology change takes place.