An overview of recent developments in the field of first-order phase transitions, which may be considered a continuation of the previous work 'Aggregation Phenomena in Complex Systems', covering work done and discussed since then. Each chapter features a different aspect of the field written by international specialists, and covers such topics as nucleation and crystallization kinetic of silicate glasses, nucleation in concentration gradients, the determination of coefficients of emission of nucleation theory, diamonds from vitreous carbon.
This book represents a detailed and systematic account of the basic principles, developments and applications of the theory of nucleation. The formation of new phases begins with the process of nucleation and is, therefore, a widely spread phenomenon in both nature and technology. Condensation and evaporation, crystal growth, electrodeposition, melt crystallization, growth of thin films for microelectronics, volcano eruption and formation of particulate matter in space are only a few of the processes in which nucleation plays a prominent role. The book has four parts, which are devoted to the thermodynamics of nucleation, the kinetics of nucleation, the effect of various factors on nucleation and the application of the theory to other processes, which involve nucleation. The first two parts describe in detail the two basic approaches in nucleation theory - the thermodynamic and the kinetic ones. They contain derivations of the basic and most important formulae of the theory and discuss their limitations and possibilities for improvement. The third part deals with some of the factors that can affect nucleation and is a natural continuation of the first two chapters. The last part is devoted to the application of the theory to processes of practical importance such as melt crystallization and polymorphic transformation, crystal growth and growth of thin solid films, size distribution of droplets and crystallites in condensation and crystallization. The book is not just an account of the status quo in nucleation theory - throughout the book there are a number of new results as well as extensions and generalisations of existing ones.
One of the most striking phenomena in condensed matter physics is the occurrence of abrupt transitions in the structure of a substance at certain temperatures or pressures. These are first order phase transitions, and examples such as the freezing of water are familiar in everyday life. The conditions at which the transformation takes place can sometimes vary. For example, the freezing point of water is not always 0°C, but the liquid can be supercooled considerably if it is pure enough and treated carefully. The reason for this phenomenon is nucleation. This monograph covers all major available routes of theoretical research of nucleation phenomena (phenomenological models, semi-phenomenological theories, density functional theories, microscopic and semi-microscopic approaches), with emphasis on the formation of liquid droplets from a metastable vapor. Also, it illustrates the application of these various approaches to experimentally relevant problems. In spite of the familiarity of the involved phenomena, it is still impossible to calculate nucleation accurately, as the properties and the kinetics of the daughter phase are insufficiently well known. Existing theories based upon classical nucleation theory have on the whole explained the trends in behavior correctly. However they often fail spectacularly to account for new data, in particular in the case of binary or, more generally, multi-component nucleation. The current challenge of this book is to go beyond such classical models and provide a more satisfactory theory by using density functional theory and microscopic computer simulations in order to describe the properties of small clusters. Also, semi-phenomenological models are proposed, which attempt to relate the properties of small clusters to known properties of the bulk phases. This monograph is an introduction as well as a compendium to researchers in soft condensed matter physics and chemical physics, graduate and post-graduate students in physics and chemistry starting on research in the area of nucleation, and to experimentalists wishing to gain a better understanding of the efforts being made to account for their data.
In Nucleation in Condensed Matter, key theoretical models for nucleation are developed and experimental data are used to discuss their range of validity. A central aim of this book is to enable the reader, when faced with a phenomenon in which nucleation appears to play a role, to determine whether nucleation is indeed important and to develop a quantitative and predictive description of the nucleation behavior. The third section of the book examines nucleation processes in practical situations, ranging from solid state precipitation to nucleation in biological systems to nucleation in food and drink. Nucleation in Condensed Matter is a key reference for an advanced materials course in phase transformations. It is also an essential reference for researchers in the field. - Unified treatment of key theories, experimental evaluations and case studies - Complete derivation of key models - Detailed discussion of experimental measurements - Examples of nucleation in diverse systems
Explore a Kinetic Approach to the Description of Nucleation - An Alternative to the Classical Nucleation TheoryKinetic Theory of Nucleation presents an alternative to the classical theory of nucleation in gases and liquids-the kinetic nucleation theory of Ruckenstein-Narsimhan-Nowakowski (RNNT). RNNT uses the kinetic theory of fluids to calculate t
Nucleation of Water: From Fundamental Science to Atmospheric and Additional Applications provides a comprehensive accounting of the current state-of-the-art regarding the nucleation of water. It covers vapor-liquid, liquid-vapor, liquid-ice and vapor-ice transitions and describes basic kinetic and thermodynamic concepts in a manner understandable to researchers working on specific applications. The main focus of the book lies in atmospheric phenomena, but it also describes engineering and biological applications. Bubble nucleation, although not of major atmospheric relevance, is included for completeness. This book presents a single, go-to resource that will help readers understand the breadth and depth of nucleation, both in theory and in real-world examples. - Offers a single, comprehensive work on water nucleation, including cutting- edge research on ice, cloud and bubble nucleation - Written primarily for atmospheric scientists, but it also presents the theories in such a way that researchers in other disciplines will find it useful - Written by one of the world's foremost experts on ice nucleation
Nucleation is the initial step of every first-order phase transition, and most phase transitions encountered both in everyday life and industrial processes are of the first-order. Using an elegant classical theory based on thermodynamics and kinetics, this book provides a fully detailed picture of multi-component nucleation. As many of the issues concerning multi-component nucleation theory have been solved during the last 10-15 years, it also thoroughly integrates both fundamental theory with recent advances presented in the literature. Classical Nucleation Theory in Multicomponent Systems serves as a textbook for advanced thermodynamics courses, as well as an important reference for researchers in the field. The main topics covered are: the basic relevant thermodynamics and statistical physics; modelling a molecular cluster as a spherical liquid droplet; predicting the size and composition of the nucleating critical clusters; kinetic models for cluster growth and decay; calculating nucleation rates; and a full derivation and application of nucleation theorems that can be used to extract microscopic cluster properties from nucleation rate measurements. The assumptions and approximations needed to build the classical theory are described in detail, and the reasons why the theory fails in certain cases are explained. Relevant problems are presented at the end of each chapter.
Glass-ceramics are now commonplace in our daily lives, despite having only been discovered for less than a century. It presents an update on the recent developments concerning the mechanisms of nucleation, crystal growth and phase separation, bringing together theoretical aspects and characterization methods.
Crystallization is an important separation and purification process used in industries ranging from bulk commodity chemicals to specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals. In recent years, a number of environmental applications have also come to rely on crystallization in waste treatment and recycling processes.The authors provide an introduction to the field of newcomers and a reference to those involved in the various aspects of industrial crystallization. It is a complete volume covering all aspects of industrial crystallization, including material related to both fundamentals and applications. This new edition presents detailed material on crystallization of biomolecules, precipitation, impurity-crystal interactions, solubility, and design.Provides an ideal introduction for industrial crystallization newcomers Serves as a worthwhile reference to anyone involved in the fieldCovers all aspects of industrial crystallization in a single, complete volume
