Investigation of Nucleation Sites in Gels.

The report gives a survey of work on the mechanism of crystal nucleation in gels and the various factors which influence it heterogeneous nuclei and gel structure. It shows how both factors can in principle be controlled, through the use of so-called hybrid growth systems and a recently devised process known as gel gettering. The report also describes research on seeding and reimplanation processes, their problems and potentialities, and discusses the special role of cusps in controlling crystal growth in the gel medium. It concludes that the method is inherently capable of further development and makes three proposals for future research. Author