The formation of a solid nucleus in supercooled liquid. I (Q1118487)

A careful analysis of the thermodynamics of a phase transition involving supercooled liquid is presented. Relations are developed for equilibrium temperature, pressures and volumes of solid and liquid from conservation relations and mathematical statements of thermal, mechanical and chemical equilibrium. Surface area, curvature and pressure effects are considered. Initial data are the temperature, pressure and volume of a supercooled liquid in which nucleation is assumed to have occurred. Generalized Clapeyron type equations in the presence of curved interfaces and a generalization of the Gibbs-Thompson relation between curvature of the phase change interface and the transition temperature at the interface are derived and discussed.