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The generalized Clapeyron equation and its application to confined ice growth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2023

Robert W. Style*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Dominic Gerber
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Alan W. Rempel
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
Eric R. Dufresne
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
*
Corresponding author: Robert Style; Email: robert.style@mat.ethz.ch
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Abstract

Most theoretical descriptions of stresses induced by freezing are rooted in the (generalized) Clapeyron equation, which predicts the pressure that a solid can exert as it cools below its melting temperature. This equation is central for topics ranging beyond glaciology to geomorphology, civil engineering, food storage and cryopreservation. However, it has inherent limitations, requiring isotropic solid stresses and conditions near bulk equilibrium. Here, we examine when the Clapeyron equation is applicable by providing a rigorous derivation that details all assumptions. We demonstrate the natural extension for anisotropic stress states, and we show how the temperature and pressure ranges for validity depend on well-defined material properties. Finally, we demonstrate how the range of applicability of the (linear) Clapeyron equation can be extended by adding higher-order terms, yielding results that are in good agreement with experimental data for the pressure melting of ice.

Information

Type
Letter
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The International Glaciological Society
Figure 0

Figure 1. (a) Ice generates pressure as it grows in a closed cavity, due to the expansion of water upon freezing. (b) Ice growing in an open pore is fed by nearby water, and this growth wedges open the cavity, generating stresses.

Figure 1

Table 1. Ice/water parameter values at atmospheric pressure and 273.15 K (Hobbs, 2010)

Figure 2

Figure 2. Evaluating the accuracy of the Clapeyron Equation. (a) The pressure of ice in bulk ice/water equilibrium in a closed cavity (Pl = Ps = −σnn), as a function of undercooling. The black, dotted curve shows experimental data (Dunaeva and others, 2010). (b) The stress exerted by ice in an open pore, as a function of undercooling. Both figures show the linear Clapeyron equation (dashed red), full second-order theory (Eqn (18), blue) and simplified second-order theory (Eqns (19) and (21), orange dash-dotted).