Approximations for the nucleation temperature of water

Abstract

The previously developed experimental methodologies for determining the nucleation temperatures of water at atmospheric pressure are critically reviewed and further developed. Particular attention is focused on the methodology, in which a special approach that regulates the details of the setup of the experiments and the procedure for translating primary data into required liquid temperatures at the onset of boiling is set out. It is pointed out that following the latter methodology, either partially or fully, leads to a prediction of higher nucleation temperatures of water at atmospheric pressure compared with most previous predictions of this temperature in the range of heating rates (T˙) 106K/s to 109K/s. New approximations for the nucleation temperature as a function of the heating rate are suggested in the ranges 102K/s to 104K/s and 106K/s to 109K/s, based on the amended and revised experimental data. These approximations are expected to have a wide range of applications, including in the analysis of timing of puffing/micro-explosion in composite water/fuel droplets, inkjet printing, Nano/Micro electro-mechanical systems (N/MEMS), and in the nuclear and medical industries.