Surface-induced phase transition in normal alkane fluids
- 1 October 1992
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review A
- Vol. 46 (8), R4494-R4496
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.46.r4494
Abstract
The surface tension of normal liquid alkanes (chain lengths between 15 and 18 carbon atoms) has been measured as a function of temperature. In all cases the tension exhibits a well-defined change in behavior at a temperature close to, but distinct from, the melting point. The phenomena are consistent with a surface-induced phase transition in which the conformational degrees of freedom of molecules close to the surface are inhibited. Various properties of the transition vary smoothly with alkane chain length.Keywords
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