Ostwald ripening destabilizes particle growth due to fluctuations in which storage parameter(s)?

• A. Temperature
• B. Pressure
• C. Humidity
• D. Two of the above

Answer: (A)

Ostwald ripening happens when smaller particles, which are more soluble due to their curved surfaces, dissolve and redeposit onto larger particles, causing the average particle size to grow over time. Temperature plays a key role because it directly affects both solubility and the diffusion rate of material in the medium. Fluctuations in storage temperature change how much material can dissolve and how fast it can move, so during temperature swings, dissolved material preferentially leaves small particles and deposits on larger ones, speeding up coarsening and destabilizing the size distribution.

Pressure generally has little direct impact on solubility for solid particles in typical storage conditions, and humidity mainly influences moisture-related aspects rather than the thermodynamic drive for ripening, so they’re not the primary drivers of this process.