Reversible work of formation of an embryo of a new phase within a uniform macroscopic mother phase

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Journal of Chemical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.475938· OSTI ID:615394

Debenedetti, P G ^[1]; Reiss, H ^[2]

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1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey08544 (United States)
2. Princeton Materials Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey08544 (United States)

A thermodynamically consistent formalism is derived for calculating the reversible work needed to form a small amount of a new phase (embryo) within a uniform macroscopic mother phase. The treatment goes beyond the classic work of Gibbs, who solved the problem for the particular case in which the embryo is in equilibrium with the mother phase, constituting a so-called critical nucleus. The formalism results in a new expression for the reversible work of embryo formation, the extrema conditions for which yield the correct conditions of equilibrium between the critical nucleus and the mother phase, as well as Gibbs{close_quote} result for the reversible work needed to form the critical nucleus. The new expression for the work of embryo formation differs from the one commonly used in the nucleation literature. In order to extend the Gibbsian formalism to noncritical nuclei, it is necessary to introduce a constraint that prevents the free transfer of matter between the embryo and the mother phase. The present approach is valid in the limit in which curvature contributions to the interfacial energy can be neglected. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 615394
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Physics Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 108; ISSN JCPSA6; ISSN 0021-9606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

40 CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
EQUILIBRIUM
FLUIDS
INTERFACES
NUCLEATION
SURFACE ENERGY
THERMODYNAMICS