Adiabatic Nucleation in large molecule liquids

Abstract

Zanotto recently demonstrated that the Adiabatic Nucleation Theory predicts very well whether different inorganic glasses show homogeneous nucleation and at which temperature homogeneous nucleation is expected to occur. Using two sets of approximations in the Classical (Isothermal) Nucleation Theory, he could also indicate upper and lower limits for the temperature of homogeneous nucleation, arriving at similar results. In the present work, Zanotto's analysis of the Adiabatic Nucleation Theory is confirmed, but his predictions with the help of Classical (Isothermal) Nucleation Theory are criticized. At least in those cases where no homogeneous nucleation occurs, his analysis leads to serious contradictions. Indirect arguments indicate that the Adiabatic Nucleation Theory is also valid for polymers.