Using Rare Gas Permeation to Probe Methanol Diffusion near the Glass Transition Temperature

Journal Article · Fri Dec 11 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Physical Review Letters, 103(24):Article Number: 245902

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.245902· OSTI ID:972335

Matthiesen, Jesper; Smith, R Scott; Kay, Bruce D

The permeation of rare-gas atoms through deeply supercooled metastable liquid methanol films is used to probe the diffusivity. The technique allows for measurement of supercooled liquid self-diffusion at temperatures just above the glass transition. The diffusivity near the glass transition is characterized by an activation energy and prefactor that are seven and 1030 times greater, respectively, than those of the room temperature liquid. The temperature dependence of the diffusivity is well-described by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman (VFT) equation. These new measurements, their kinetic parameters, and temperature dependence provide clear evidence that methanol is a fragile liquid.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 972335
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-67478; PRLTAO; 24694; KC0301020; TRN: US201006%%921
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, 103(24):Article Number: 245902, Vol. 103, Issue 24; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ATOMS
DIFFUSION
GLASS
KINETICS
METHANOL
PROBES
SELF-DIFFUSION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory