Kinetics at the Growth Front

Lauritzen-Hoffman (LH) theory is stUl the most widely used theoretical model in the explanation of the growth kinetics of lamellar crystals. Figure 4.21 schematically shows the basic assumptions of folded stems at the growth front in the LH theory, without considering the thickening at the lateral growth front. 

In this section we discuss the basic mechanisms of pattern formation in growth processes under the influence of a diffusion field. For simphcity we consider the sohdification of a pure material from the undercooled melt, where the latent heat L is emitted from the solidification front. Since heat diffusion is a slow and rate-limiting process, we may assume that the interface kinetics is fast enough to achieve local equihbrium at the phase boundary. Strictly speaking, we assume an infinitely fast kinetic coefficient. 

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