Thermal hysteresis of mesoscopic phase transitions in fluid metals: From tantalum to aluminum and gold with their critical points and non-mean-field global diagrams

Abstract

The light soft metal – Al-IIIB in Periodic Table and the heavy soft metal – Au-IB were analyzed within the predictive model of fluctuation–thermodynamics (FT). The similar extrapolative approach was applied for re-establishing of the global phase diagram and non-mean-field criticality of the refractory heavy and rigid tantalum Ta-VA earlier. The revealed then correspondence between the onset point of nano-droplets at atmospheric pressure and the point of instability, observable at much higher pressures by the fast dynamic measurements, found its confirmation for the considered metals as well. It may indicate the universality of the mentioned “dew”-point for any elements and compounds. The mesoscopic nanoscaled time- and length- simultaneous consideration matters especially for all metallic vapors at sub-atmospheric pressures and temperatures beneath the normal boiling one. The FT-predicted critical points of Al and Au are consistent with the available low-temperature thermostatic and rapid dynamic experimental data.