Capillary phenomena arising from vapor phase condensation in porous media are discussed in the light of an exact interface curvature theory and a self-consistent thermodynamic theory. The system studied consists of liquid condensed in the form of pendular rings a t the contact points between identical spherical particles. The geometrical parameters-the curvature, the confined volume, and the surface are0 of the liquid-vapor interface-must be expressed in terms of incomplete elliptic integrals. In addition several corrections are introduced for the classical Kelvin relation for lowering of vapor pressure. One of these is based on the density dependence of the isothermal thermodynamic susceptibility. Since the susceptibility vanishes a t large negative pressures, an upper limit to the curvature is established. The balance equation for the extensive free energy is considered from the point of view of hydrostatic principles.
192 2Further, component 1, the solid, is in the form of two identical spherical particles in contact. These particles, of radius R, are taken to be incompressible, as well as insoluble in the fluid phases. In all thermodynamic states which will be considered, the suiface state of strain for the solid phase remains unchanged. To within the limits required by a thermodynamic treatment, the state of strain in the solid surface is also homogeneous and isotropic, in a two-dimensional sense. Such restrictions suffice to define the so-called inert adsorbent model of the solid phase.The external boundaries of the system are assumed to be in contact only with the vapor phase. Hence, the liquid phase, if it exists, is in the form of condensate at the