Entropy catastrophe and configurational entropies in supercooled and superheated regimes

Abstract

Utilizing the well known Kauzmann’s entropy catastrophe paradox, we have developed simple thermodynamic expressions for calculating the Kauzmann’s temperatures in the supercooled liquid (Tk1) and superheated solid (Tk2) regions besides obtaining new Kauzmann’s temperature in the superheated liquid (Tk3) regime. Tk3 is actually the critical temperature of liquids. The configurational entropies in respective regimes can also be obtained from this thermodynamic treatment that leads us to a new ‘‘characteristic entropy constant’’ which also seems to be indicative of configurational entropy. Comparison has also been made for the configurational entropies of supercooled and superheated liquid states. The generality of the above thermodynamic treatment has been successfully tested for alkali metals and Na2K alloy and polymers.