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Hypercooling Temperature of Water is about 100 K Higher than Calculated before
Tillmann Buttersack1,2, Volker C Weiss3,4, Sigurd Bauerecker1,5
1Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig , Gaußstrasse 17, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|January 3, 2018
Summary
The hypercooling temperature for water, where freezing transitions to a single step, is found to be approximately -64°C. This is significantly higher than previously estimated and achievable with current experimental methods.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Thermodynamics of Water
Background:
- The hypercooling temperature signifies a transition in liquid freezing from a two-stage to a single-step process.
- This term is largely absent in water research, with prior estimates for water's hypercooling temperature around -160°C, below experimental limits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reassess the hypercooling temperature of water using a more accurate thermodynamic analysis.
- To determine if current experimental conditions can reach the revised hypercooling temperature for water.
Main Methods:
- Analysis incorporating temperature-dependent heat capacities of water and ice.
- Inclusion of the temperature-dependent enthalpy of freezing in thermodynamic calculations.
Main Results:
- The hypercooling temperature of water is recalculated to be approximately -64°C (209 K).
- This revised temperature is nearly 100 K higher than previous estimates.
- The new hypercooling temperature is within the range of experimentally achievable supercooling.
Conclusions:
- Existing experimental setups can reach the hypercooling temperature of water.
- A transition in water's freezing behavior is predicted to occur at this newly determined hypercooling temperature.
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