FIG. 1 At point “A,” bubbles begin to appear. Two pathways to point “A” are shown. BA represents raising the temperature at constant pressure, whereas CA causes boiling by reducing the pressure at a constant temperature. The portions of the line BA above the full curve, or of CA to the left of the full curve until they reach “A” are sometimes referred to as the “widths” of the metastable zone. Ostwald’s metastable limit is the kinetic limit of stability, and is shown here as the dotted line. The spinodal represent the thermodynamic limit of instability.

doi:10.1201/9780203021262-142

Chapter

FIG. 1 At point “A,” bubbles begin to appear. Two pathways to point “A” are shown. BA represents raising the temperature at constant pressure, whereas CA causes boiling by reducing the pressure at a constant temperature. The portions of the line BA above the full curve, or of CA to the left of the full curve until they reach “A” are sometimes referred to as the “widths” of the metastable zone. Ostwald’s metastable limit is the kinetic limit of stability, and is shown here as the dotted line. The spinodal represent the thermodynamic limit of instability.

Chapter

FIG. 1 At point “A,” bubbles begin to appear. Two pathways to point “A” are shown. BA represents raising the temperature at constant pressure, whereas CA causes boiling by reducing the pressure at a constant temperature. The portions of the line BA above the full curve, or of CA to the left of the full curve until they reach “A” are sometimes referred to as the “widths” of the metastable zone. Ostwald’s metastable limit is the kinetic limit of stability, and is shown here as the dotted line. The spinodal represent the thermodynamic limit of instability.

ABSTRACT

The further above or to the left of the binodal curve one goes, thus increasing ∆µ, the greater the rate at which the phase change will occur. At the binodal, the rate is zero, but as regions further above or to the left of the coexistence curve are reached, this rate rises to a high value as the departure from equilibrium increases. The magnitude of the departure is measured by the chemical potential difference ∆µ, between the liquid and vapor states under the prevailing conditions of temperature, T and pressure, P.