Influence of crystallographic orientation on hydration of MgO single crystals

This study has been performed in order to find out the influence of crystallographic orientation on hydration of MgO single crystal substrates with (1 0 0)-, (1 1 0)-, and (1 1 1)-orientations. The samples were left in a hydration chamber with an 88% relative humidity for 18 h at room temperature. The effect of humidity on the samples was examined by scanning probe microscope (SPM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) which showed that the degree of hydration was noticeably influenced by the crystallographic orientation. It was found that the MgO with (1 1 1)-orientation has the highest tendency to hydrate than the other orientations. Second most affected sample was (1 1 0) crystal. Loss of MgO on the surface by hydration is most severe when the crystal is oriented in (1 1 1) plane with the maximum hydrate layer thickness of 174 nm after 18 h of exposure.