Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-v5vhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-01T23:13:25.401Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

4 - Classical Theory of Multicomponent Nucleation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 May 2024

Steven L. Girshick
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Get access

Summary

The classical theory of multicomponent nucleation, including binary nucleation, ternary nucleation, etc., makes similar key assumptions as in CNT for single-component nucleation. Clusters are modeled as spherical liquid droplets consisting of an ideal multicomponent solution. The surface tension is assumed to equal that of a flat surface of liquid having the same composition, in equilibrium with its multicomponent vapor. The Gibbs free energy of cluster formation is a function of the cluster’s size and composition and of the gas-phase partial pressures of each component. The critical size and composition are found at a saddle point on the multidimensional free energy surface, where the free energy of cluster formation is a maximum in one direction and a minimum in all orthogonal directions. Several improvements have been proposed within the framework of classical theory. These include models of the cluster growth trajectory near the critical point; studies that account for composition-dependent surface tension; and models that consider the existence of surface-active layers that cause the chemical composition near the cluster surface to be different than in the core.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×