Nonisothermal nucleation and formation of SiO2 clusters

Abstract

The paper presents the results of modeling the process of homogeneous nucleation of silicon dioxide vapors. The purpose of the modeling is to improve the understanding of the operating features of a high-temperature stand. The nucleation process is described as a result of a triple collision between two molecules of silicon dioxide and any third molecule in the gas mixture. It has been demonstrated that at high vapor supersaturations, nucleation exhibits a significantly non-isothermal character. The formation of more than 1021 clusters per cubic meter is observed. The release of latent heat of the phase transition significantly increases the temperature of the gas mixture (by hundreds of degrees Kelvin). It is found that the higher the vapor supersaturation, the smaller the quasi-steady radius of nanometer clusters. This effect influences the Brownian deposition of clusters on the substrate.