Characteristic growth of chemical gardens from mixtures of two salts

Abstract

Chemical gardens formed from two metal salts (MCl₂ or MSO₄) have been investigated to understand the effects of mixing on the growth of precipitate tubes. The growth of tubes can be classified into three types, i.e., collaborative, inhibited, and individual growth, depending on the combination of the two metal salts. Characteristic features of tube growth are discussed in relation to the flow near the tip of the tube controlled by osmotic pressure and the solubility product, K_sp, for M(OH)₂. The present study can be interpreted as an inanimate model system of symbiosis among different species, such as mixed cropping systems and survival among different kinds of microbial cells.