Nucleation

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.

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

A unique text presenting practical information on the topic of nucleation and crystal growth processes from metastable solutions and melts Nucleation and Crystal Growth is a groundbreaking text thatoffers an overview and description of the processes and phenomena associated with metastability of solutions and melts. The author—a noted expert in the field—puts the emphasis on low-temperature solutions that are typically involved in crystallization in a wide range of industries. The text begins with a review of the basic knowledge of solutions and the fundamentals of crystallization processes. The author then explores topics related to the metastable state of solutions and melts from the standpoint of three-dimensional nucleation and crystal growth. Nucleation and Crystal Growth is the first text that contains a unified description and discussion of the many processes and phenomena occurring in the metastable zone of solutions and melts from the consideration of basic concepts of structure of crystallization. This important text: Outlines an interdisciplinary approach to the topic and offers an essential guide for crystal growth practitioners in materials science, physics, and chemical engineering Contains a comprehensive content that details the crystallization processes starting from the initial solutions and melts, all the way through nucleation, to the final crystal products Presents a unique focus and is the first book on understanding, and exploiting, metastability of solutions and melts in crystallization processes Written for specialists and researchers in the fields of materials science, condensed matter physics, and chemical engineering. Nucleation and Crystal Growth is a practical resource filled with hands-on knowledge of nucleation and crystal growth processes from metastable solutions and melts.

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

This book introduces readers to experimental techniques of general utility that can be used to practically and reliably determine nucleation rates. It also covers the basics of gas hydrates, phase equilibria, nucleation theory, crystal growth, and interfacial gaseous states. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in the field of hydrate nucleation. The formation of gas hydrates is a first-order phase transition that begins with nucleation. Understanding nucleation is of interest to many working in the chemical and petroleum industry, since nucleation, while beneficial in many chemical processes, is also a concern in terms of flow assurance for oil and natural gas pipelines. A primary difficulty in the investigation of gas hydrate nucleation has been researchers’ inability to determine and compare the nucleation rates of gas hydrates across systems with different scales and levels of complexity, which in turn has limited their ability to study the nucleation process itself. This book introduces readers to experimental techniques that can be used to practically and reliably determine the nucleation rates of gas hydrate systems. It also covers the basics of gas hydrates, phase equilibria, nucleation theory, crystal growth, and interfacial gaseous states. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in the field of hydrate nucleation.

The Advances in Chemical Physics series—the cutting edge of research in chemical physics The Advances in Chemical Physics series provides the chemical physics and physical chemistry fields with a forum for critical, authoritative evaluations of advances in every area of the discipline. Filled with cutting-edge research reported in a cohesive manner not found elsewhere in the literature, each volume of the Advances in Chemical Physics series presents contributions from internationally renowned chemists and serves as the perfect supplement to any advanced graduate class devoted to the study of chemical physics. This volume explores: Kinetics and thermodynamics of fluctuation-induced transitions in multistable systems (G. Nicolis and C. Nicolis) Dynamical rare event simulation techniques for equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems (Titus S. van Erp) Confocal depolarized dynamic light scattering (M. Potenza, T. Sanvito, V. Degiorgio, and M. Giglio) The two-step mechanism and the solution-crystal spinodal for nucleation of crystals in solution (Peter G. Vekilov) Experimental studies of two-step nucleation during two-dimensional crystallization of colloidal particles with short-range attraction (John R. Savage, Liquan Pei, and Anthony D. Dinsmore) On the role of metastable intermediate states in the homogeneous nucleation of solids from solution (James F. Lutsko) Effects of protein size on the high-concentration/low-concentration phase transition (Patrick Grosfils) Geometric constraints in the self-assembly of mineral dendrites and platelets (John J. Kozak) What can mesoscopic level in situ observations teach us about kinetics and thermodynamics of protein crystallization? (Mike Sleutel, Dominique Maes, and Alexander Van Driessche) The ability of silica to induce biomimetic crystallization of calcium carbonate (Matthias Kellermeier, Emilio Melero-GarcÍa, Werner Kunz, and Juan Manuel GarcÍa-Ruiz)

In the last decade, numerous studies have demonstrated the existence of alternative pathways to nucleation and crystallisation that oppose the classical view. Such proposed scenarios include multistage reactions proceeding via various precursor species and/or intermediate phases. The aim of this book is to review and discuss these recent advances in our understanding of the early stages of mineralisation through a series of contributions that address both experimental and theoretical studies about the formation and nature of initial precursor species (e.g., prenucleation clusters, dense liquid phases, amorphous nanoparticles, etc.) as well as their transformations leading to the stable mineral phase. Several chapters are devoted to cutting-edge analytical techniques used for investigating the above processes in situ, in real time and at conditions relevant to both natural and industrial processes. At the end of the book, the editors summarize the key questions that still need to be addressed in order to establish a complete picture of the nucleation and growth processes involved during the formation of minerals