Binary Nucleation. II. Time Lags

The role of the time lag needed to attain steady state nucleation in binary vapors is discussed. Under appropriate conditions it is possible to obtain both a large predicted rate of binary nucleation and a large time lag. In this circumstance, homogeneous nucleation of the more concentrated component may be the predominant process. It is of obvious importance to the experimentalist to differentiate between these possibilities. Approximate formulas for the time lags are developed, and representative calculations for the ethanol-water system are reported.