karttuminen

Karttuminen is a Finnish term used to describe the formation of a crust or rind on a surface as a result of deposition, accretion, or growth of material. The term is used across disciplines to refer to several related but context-specific processes. In geology and soil science, karttuminen often refers to the development of cemented or mineral-rich crusts on bedrock or soil, created by precipitation of minerals from groundwater or surface water, through evaporation, precipitation, or microbial mediation. Common forms include calcretes and silcretes in arid environments, as well as crusts formed on rock surfaces by oxidation or silica deposition.

Industrial and technical usage describes the buildup of solid deposits on equipment, pipelines, or heat exchangers, commonly called scaling or crusting. These crusts may consist of inorganic minerals such as calcium carbonate, gypsum, silica, or metal oxides, and can alter heat transfer, flow, or mechanical properties.

Environmental and climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, dissolved ion concentration, and flow rate influence karttuminen. It can occur over days to thousands of years, depending on conditions. In many cases crust formation protects underlying material, but it can also cause damage by reducing porosity, insulating surfaces, or clogging systems.

Methods to study karttuminen include field observation, mineralogical analysis, microscopy, and dating techniques. Management in industrial settings may include chemical inhibitors, mechanical cleaning, or process changes to reduce scale formation.