Kinetic theory of condensation on insoluble wettable nuclei

A kinetic theory of vapor nucleation on insoluble wettable condensation nuc lei is constructed. Depending on the initial parameters of a theory that de termines the properties of a liquid, vapor, substance comprising the solid wettable nucleus, and boundary layers and characterizes the sizes of conden sation nuclei; their initial number in the vapor-gas medium; and the rate o f the external creation of a metastable state in vapor, all basic kinetic c haracteristics of nucleation (such as the number of supercritical droplets emerging in nucleation, the time of the beginning and the duration of the e mergence of supercritical droplets, and the width of the spectrum of superc ritical droplet sizes) are determined in the analytical form. Characteristi c cases of free-molecular and diffusion regimes of the growth of supercriti cal droplets are analyzed. The quantitative criterion indicating the nature of the termination of the nucleation of supercritical droplets is disclose d: whether it is caused by the absorption of vapor by supercritical droplet s or by the depletion of the supply of condensation nuclei due to the forma tion of supercritical droplets on these nuclei. Data of numerical calculati on are reported which demonstrate the ability of the kinetic theory to draw interesting practical predictions within a wide range of the values of the initial parameters of the theory. It is shown how the polydispersity of in soluble wettable condensation nuclei can be taken into account in the theor y.