Nucleation and supersaturation in porous media (revisited)

Supersaturation-Nucleation-Time (S-N-T) diagrams are shown to be a useful tool to predict nucleation during reactive-transport processes in porous media. Such diagrams can be determined experimentally or estimated from theoretical calculations based on classical nucleation theory. With this aim, a 'pragmatic' understanding of the nucleation rate equation is adopted here and the meaning and magnitude of the interfacial tension and induction time discussed. Theoretical diagrams and experimental data are shown to match fairly well as long as there is an appropriate choice of the 'relevant' volume for induction-time calculations.