Spontaneous Emulsification as a Function of Material Exchange

Direct visualization at 1873 K of 0% to 8% molten FeAl droplets suspended in a SiO(2) enriched oxide medium was carried out to image the evolution of droplet morphology during reaction between Al and SiO(2). Phenomena such as perturbation growth, necking and budding of offspring droplets from a bulk body are observed. The observations are used to discuss and inform a new approach to the nature of interfacial tension and the impact this has on concepts used to define interfacial tension for a two phase system with material exchange across the interface. The mapping of global interfacial tension coupled with free energy dissipation has been used to give an energetic reasoning as to the behaviour seen with respect to aluminium content in the metal phase.