The Effect of Curvature on Vapor Pressure and Surface Tension

The Effect of Curvature on Vapor Pressure and Surface Tension 

A very important thermodynamic relationship is that giving the effect of surface curvature on the molar free energy of a substance. This is perhaps best understood in terms of the pressure drop AP across an interface, as given by Young and Laplace in Eq. II-7. From thermodynamics, the effect of a change in mechanical pressure at constant temperature on the molar h ee energy of a substance is 

It is convenient to relate the free energy of a substance to its vapor pressure and, assuming the vapor to be ideal, G = Cfi + / Tin P. Equation 111-17 then becomes 

r is positive and there is thus an increased vapor pressure. In the case of water, P/ is about 1.001 if r is 10 cm, 1.011 if r is 10 cm, and 1.114 if r is 10 cm or 100 A. The effect has been verified experimentally for several liquids [20], down to radii of the order of 0.1 m, and indirect measurements have verified the Kelvin equation for R values down to about 30 A [19]. The phenomenon provides a ready explanation for the ability of vapors to supersaturate. The formation of a new liquid phase begins with small clusters that may grow or aggregate into droplets. In the absence of dust or other foreign surfaces, there will be an activation energy for the formation of these small clusters corresponding to the increased free energy due to the curvature of the surface (see Section IX-2). 

While Eq. III-18 has been verified for small droplets, attempts to do so for liquids in capillaries (where Rm is negative and there should be a pressure reduction) have led to startling discrepancies. Potential problems include the presence of impurities leached from the capillary walls and allowance for the film of adsorbed vapor that should be present (see Chapter X). There is room for another real effect arising from structural peiturbations in the liquid induced by the vicinity of the solid capillary wall (see Chapter VI). Fisher and Israelachvili [19] review much of the literature on the verification of the Kelvin equation and report confirmatory measurements for liquid bridges between crossed mica cylinders. The situation is similar to that of the meniscus in a capillary since Rm is negative some of their results are shown in Fig. III-3. Studies in capillaries have been reviewed by Melrose [20] who concludes that the Kelvin equation is obeyed for radii at least down to 1 fim. 

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