Binary nucleation of ethanol and water

The authors have used a fast expansion cloud chamber to measure binary homogeneous nucleation rates in several ethanol–water mixtures as a function of temperature, ethanol and water activities and nucleation rate. Data (ethanol and water activities) are presented for a range in nucleation rate from 103 to 105 drops/cm3 s from 263 to 293 K for mixtures having mole ratios (ethanol/water) of 10, 4, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001. A comparison of the extensive data set to other data in the literature shows good agreement. We find current theory, as expected, is unable to accurately predict the data at low ethanol concentrations.