Quantitative Description of the Influence of the Inhibitor Concentration on the Growth Rate of Barium Sulfate Crystals in Suspension (III)

To describe quantitatively the effect of a growth inhibitor on the growth rate of barium sulfate crystals, suspended in a supersaturated solution, the “strength of inhibition” has been introduced. The strength of inhibition is defined as the ratio of the mean linear growth rates without and with inhibitor at the same value of the growth affinity. It has been shown that the strength of inhibition, exerted by 1‐hydroxyethylidene‐1, 1‐bisphosphonic acid (HEDP) and aminomethylene‐bisphosphonic acid (AMDP) on the growth process, not only depends on its concentration, but also on the growth affinity, or probably even on both the growth affinity and the changes in the geometry of the crystals due to their growth in the presence of an inhibitor.