Chemical reaction models for non-equilibrium phase transitions

Abstract

Chemical model reactions are discussed the steady states of which show the phenomenon of non equilibrium phase transitions. One example shows a phase transition of second order, another one shows a phase transition of first order. If diffusion occurs in the case of first order transition, coexistence of two phases in different domains is possible. For plane boundary layers between the domains the coexistence states are found by a construction analogous to the Maxwellian construction of vapor pressure of a Van der Waals gas. For spherical domains the coexistence dates change similarly as vapor pressure of droplets or bubbles with radius.