Etchants for Revealing Dislocations in Lithium Fluoride and Other Crystals

Aqueous solutions of long chain fatty and perfluoro-acids can be used to reveal the points of emergence of dislocations in lithium fluoride. Of particular interest are the C14–C18 acids, for dilute aqueous solutions (10−5 N-10−6 N) of these acids reveal clearly the ‘tracks’ of slowly moving dislocations. It is suggested that the many available surface-active agents may provide a ready source of potential inhibitors for a variety of crystal-etchant systems.