Abstract Liesegang patterns of parallel precipitate bands
are obtained when solutions containing co-precipitate ions
interdiffuse in a 1D gel matrix. The sparingly soluble salt
formed, displays a beautiful stratification of discs of precipitate
perpendicular to the 1D tube axis. The Liesegang
structures are analyzed from the viewpoint of their fractal
nature. Geometric Liesegang patterns are constructed in
conformity with the well-known empirical laws such as the
time, band spacing and band width laws. The dependence
of the band spacing on the initial concentrations of diffusing
(outer) and immobile (inner) electrolytes (A0 and B0, respectively)
is taken to follow the Matalon-Packter law. Both
mathematical fractal dimensions and box-count dimensions
are calculated. The fractal dimension is found to increase
with increasing A0 and decreasing B0. We also analyze mosaic
patterns with random distribution of crystallites, grown
under different conditions than the classical Liesegang gel
method, and report on their fractal properties. Finally, complex
Liesegang patterns wherein the bands are grouped in
multiplets are studied, and it is shown that the fractal nature
increases with the multiplicity.
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