Kinetics of Nucleation in Superheated Liquid Oxygen-Nitrogen Solutions. 1. Experiment and Classical Homogeneous Nucleation Theory.

Abstract

The method of lifetime measurement has been used to investigate the kinetics of spontaneous boiling-up of superheated liquid oxygen-nitrogen solutions. Experiments have been conducted at pressures of 0.5 and 1.0 MPa in the range of nucleation rates 104-108 m-3 s-1 in the whole concentration range. The temperature and concentration dependences of the nucleation rate have been determined. The sections corresponding to homogeneous nucleation have been singled out on experimental isobars. At fixed nucleation rates and pressures, the concentration dependence of the attainable-superheat temperature is close to a linear one. A comparison of experimental data with classical nucleation theory (CNT) has revealed systematic discrepancies, which are of qualitatively different character for pure liquids and solutions. In a pure liquid, the surface tension of critical bubbles is less, and in a solution, it is greater than at a flat interface.