TRANSIENT KINETICS OF BINARY NUCLEATION

Non-stationary kinetics of binary homogeneous nucleation for vapour-liquid and liquid-solid transitions at constant temperature are analysed. Kinetic equations describing the time-dependent process of formation of clusters of a new phase are solved numerically. Nucleation rate and mean cluster concentration as functions of cluster size (containing n(A) and n(B) molecules of A and B components) and time are determined. These quantities are compared with previously known results. It is shown that analytical formulae for the stationary nucleation rate based on the conception of the dominant role of the saddle point lead to inaccurate results. An alternative analytical solution for the stationary nucleation rate is proposed.