Demmenie Menno, Woutersen Sander, Bonn Daniel
Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
J Phys Chem Lett. 2025 Feb 27;16(8):2104-2109. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00050. Epub 2025 Feb 20.
The sintering behavior of ice has been the subject of controversy for more than 160 years. Various factors have led to confusion about the mechanisms behind mass transport during sintering; erroneously derived growth rate exponents, experimental challenges in achieving equilibrium conditions, and incorrect comparisons between ice sintering and snow densification have all played a role. Here we demonstrate that sintering of ice under equilibrium conditions proceeds primarily through sublimation and condensation. Mass transfer occurs through the vapor phase, driven by increased volatility at the formed neck due to its high curvature. Our findings on the sintering of ice spheres are consistent with the healing of micrometer-sized scratches in ice under similar conditions.
在超过160年的时间里，冰的烧结行为一直是一个有争议的话题。各种因素导致了对烧结过程中质量传输背后机制的混淆；错误推导的生长速率指数、实现平衡条件的实验挑战以及冰烧结与雪致密化之间的错误比较都起到了一定作用。在这里，我们证明了在平衡条件下冰的烧结主要通过升华和凝结进行。质量传输通过气相发生，这是由形成的颈部由于其高曲率而增加的挥发性驱动的。我们关于冰球烧结的发现与在类似条件下冰中微米级划痕的愈合情况一致。
