SEMIPHENOMENOLOGICAL EFFECTIVE-MEDIUM THEORY OF MULTICOMPONENT NUCLEATION

We propose an effective-medium approach for homogeneous vapor-liquid n ucleation of multicomponent mixtures in the regime of retrograde conde nsation. Transformation to an efficiency unary system is accompanied b y renormalization of the surface tension. We formulate a generalized F isher droplet model [M. E. Fisher, Physics 3, 255 (1967)] for the clus ter distribution in the effective system. A closed-form expression for the nucleation rate is obtained within the framework of the kinetic a pproach to nucleation. The theory contains no adjustable parameters. T wo- and four-component mixtures of hydrocarbons are studied and theore tical predictions are compared with available experimental data.