Measurement of the molecular content of binary nuclei. Use of the nucleation rate surface for ethanol–hexanol

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Abstract
We measured the homogeneous nucleation rates J of mixed droplets in supersaturated ethanol–hexanol vapor mixtures in argon as functions of the vapor phase activities a1 and a2 of ethanol and hexanol, respectively. Measurements ranged from pure ethanol to pure hexanol at T=260 K. The experimental nucleation rate curves shape a nucleation rate surface in the three‐dimensional J−a1−a2 space. We develop a theory for obtaining the average size and composition of a nucleus from this surface determined experimentally. Following this procedure experimental nucleus compositions are determined. This theory is then combined with our measurements in order to determine the makeup of the binary ethanol–hexanol nuclei. Results are compared with the predictions of classical binary nucleation theory. Qualitatively similar trends are observed for the nearly ideal ethanol–hexanol system studied.