chapter  62
5 Pages

## Relaxation times of metastable drops to equilibrium states

We note the quasi-thermodynamic determination of the surface tension through the equilibration of forces and moments of forces on the dividing surface [21], which qualitatively differs from the methods of introducing σ previously considered on the basis of purely thermodynamic hypotheses [11,19,22]. This difference is well known [11]: the conditions for the equality of forces and moments of forces with respect to the dividing surface are sufficient to introduce local pressures inside the transition region, and to obtain equations that ensure the internal mechanical stability of the interface. In this case, the local stability conditions imply the macroscopic Laplace equation, and it should not be used a priori as a postulate, with respect to the molecular theory. Here it emphasizes that microscopic molecular equations independently describe all properties without attracting additional connections from thermodynamics or mechanics of continuous media.