Influence of magnetic field on the growth and properties of calcium tartrate crystals

The growth of calcium tartrate crystals in hydrosilica gel, in the presence of static magnetic fields has been investigated. Crystal formation at the free surface of the gel was studied under fields of strength up to 3T. Weak magnetic fields created by permanent ferrite magnets were used to study the crystal formation in the gel column over long duration. The XRD spectra of the samples grown under magnetic fields exhibit increase in d values of most of the diffraction peaks and noticeable change in the intensity of reflections from certain planes. Application of the field resulted in the appearance of two additional absorption peaks in the I R spectrum of the material. Samples grown under fields of strength I and 3 T show paramagnetism up to 6 and 7 T, respectively, of the probing field strength. For stronger probing fields, the samples start exhibiting diamagnetism. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.