Kinetics of Evaporation: Statistical Rate Theory Approach

Abstract

Currently there are three theoretical approaches to study evaporation: Continuum Mechanics, Classical Kinetic Theory, and recently Statistical Rate Theory (SRT). The assumptions being used and the predictions resulting from the first two methods have not been supported by experimental results which are in agreement with the SRT predictions. It seems that SRT can predict the conditions existing at the interface during evaporation better than other methods. This paper reviews some of the published evaporation studies, particularly evaporation rate, thermocapillary convection, and temperature discontinuity at the interface during evaporation and compares the results of different approaches.

Keywords

• evaporation, rate of phase change, surface temperature, convection, statistical rate theory