Nonequilibrium properties of a two-dimensionally isotropic interface in a two-phase mixture as described by the square gradient model

Abstract

In earlier work a systematic extension of the van der Waals square gradient model to nonequilibrium one-component systems was given. In this work the focus was on heat and mass transfer through the liquid-vapor interface as caused by a temperature difference or an over- or underpressure. We will give an extension of this approach to multicomponent nonequilibrium systems in the systematic context of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. An explicit expression for the pressure tensor is derived valid also for curved surfaces. It is shown how the Gibbs relation should be modified in the interfacial region, in both equilibrium and nonequilibrium. The two-dimensional isotropy of a curved interface is discussed. Furthermore, we give numerically obtained profiles of the concentration, the mole fraction, and the temperature, which illustrate the solution for some special cases.