HOMOGENEOUS BUBBLE NUCLEATION PREDICTED BY A MOLECULAR INTERACTION-MODEL

The homogeneous bubble nucleation of various hydrocarbons was estimated by the modified classical nucleation theory. In this modification, the kinetic formalism of the classical theory is retained while the surface energy needed for the bubble formation is calculated from the interaction energy between molecules. With a nucleation rate value of J(nc) = 10(22) nuclei/cm3s, this modified model gives a very good prediction of the superheat limit of liquids. In another test of the model the complete evaporation time of a butane droplet at its superheat limit is compared with experiments and found to be in good agreement.