Elastic stress effects on critical cluster shapes

Abstract

Crystallization of solids at planar solid–air surfaces was analyzed. Shape and size of clusters of the newly evolving phase are determined which correspond to the minimal work of cluster formation in nucleation. Both elastic field and surface energy terms are taken into consideration. This work is not restricted to the consideration of spherical interfaces cluster–ambient solid phase but allows, more general arbitrary shapes of the new phase. Application to crystallization of glassforming melts, gives additional support to the idea that differences in the degree of evolution of elastic strains in crystallization in the bulk and near external or internal surfaces of highly viscous glassforming melts in the vicinity of the temperature of vitrification T g may be the origin for the preferential surface crystallization of glasses.