Different freezing behavior of millimeter- and micrometer-scaled (NH4)2SO4/H2O droplets

A Bogdan, M J Molina, H Tenhu, E Mayer, E Bertel, T Loerting
2010 Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter  
Although the freezing of aqueous solutions is important for nature and different branches of science and freeze-applications, our understanding of the freezing process is not complete. For example, numerous measurements of micrometer-scaled (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 /H 2 O droplets report one freezing event below the eutectic point. However, measurements of larger millimeter-scaled droplets reveal two freezing events: the freezing out of ice and subsequent freezing of a residual freeze-concentrated
more » ... n. To resolve this apparent contradiction we performed numerous calorimetric measurements which indicate that the freezing of a residual solution of millimeter-scaled 5-38 wt% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 droplets occurs mainly between ∼210 and 225 K. We also find that micrometer-scaled droplets produce one freezing event which is within or in the vicinity of the ∼210-225 K region. This fact and the analysis of thermograms suggest that the residual solution of micrometer-scaled droplets may partly crystallize simultaneously with ice and partly transform to glass at T g ≈ 172 K. Our results suggest for the first time that the size of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 /H 2 O droplets may affect the number of freezing events below the eutectic point.
doi:10.1088/0953-8984/23/3/035103 pmid:21406858 fatcat:r62qmfa7yngy5oo664upiivnie