Large and well-formed crystals of strontium chlorapatite [Sr5Cl(PO4)(3)] we
re grown for the first time from a sodium chloride flux. The obtained cryst
als were colorless and transparent. The crystal growth of Sr5Cl(PO4)(3) was
conducted by heating a mixture of solute and flux at 1100 degreesC for 10
h, and then cooling to 500 degreesC at a rate of 5 degreesC h(-1). Hexagona
l prismatic crystals with lengths of up to 8.6 mm and widths of 2.1 mm were
grown from high-temperature solutions containing 0.05-0.9 mol% solute. The
most suitable solute content for the growth of prismatic crystals was 0.2
mol%. The prismatic crystals were bounded by the {10 (1) over cap0} and {10
(1) over cap1} faces. The aspect ratios were in the region of 1.1 to 4.2.
Hexagonal needle crystals with lengths of up to 2.6 mm and widths of 60 mum
were obtained during every growth run. The needle crystals were elongated
in the < 0001 > directions, with aspect ratios ranging from 33 to 66. The m
ajor constituents were almost homogeneously distributed in the prismatic an
d needle crystals. The solubility Of Sr5Cl(PO4)(3) crystals in NaCl flux in
creased with increasing temperature, reaching about 0.25 mol% solubility at
1100 degreesC.