Technique for Studying the Growth of Silver Halide Crystals The Effect of Gelatin

Paper presented at a symposium on “Photographic Gelatin” organized by the Science Committee of The Royal Photographic Society. 1-4 September. 1970. in Cambridge.

Abstract

Single layers of silver bromide crystals about 0.1μ in diameter attached to microscopic slides were prepared by evaporating silver under vacuum onto the slide and converting this to silver bromide in bromine vapour. The slides were then placed in a gently flowing solution consisting either of 0-1M ammonium bromide or alternatively, of OJM ammonium bromide and 1% gelatin. The solutions were kept slightly supersaturated with respect to silver bromide by cooling them before they passed over the samples. Under these conditions some of the crystals grew to a diameter of a few microns while remaining attached to the glass slide.

Thin tabular crystals were obtained. Gelatin slowed down the growth rate and, under the conditions used, led to the formation of crystals of more regular shape.

Notes

Paper presented at a symposium on “Photographic Gelatin” organized by the Science Committee of The Royal Photographic Society. 1-4 September. 1970. in Cambridge.