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The pressure melting point of ice is the temperature at which ice melts at a given pressure. The pressure melting point is nearly a constant 0 °C at pressures above the triple point at 611.7 Pa , where water can exist in only the solid or liquid phases, through atmospheric pressure (100 kPa ) until about 10 MPa .
For example, the melting point of silicon at ambient pressure (0.1 MPa) is 1415 °C, but at pressures in excess of 10 GPa it decreases to 1000 °C. [13] Melting points are often used to characterize organic and inorganic compounds and to ascertain their purity. The melting point of a pure substance is always higher and has a smaller range than ...
However, at very high pressures higher melting temperatures are generally observed as the liquid usually occupies a larger volume than the solid making melting more thermodynamically unfavorable at elevated pressure. If the liquid has a smaller volume than the solid (as for ice and liquid water) a higher pressure leads to a lower melting point.
Melting ice cubes illustrate the process of fusion. Melting, or fusion, is a physical process that results in the phase transition of a substance from a solid to a liquid. This occurs when the internal energy of the solid increases, typically by the application of heat or pressure, which increases the substance's temperature to the melting point.
Triple points mark conditions at which three different phases can coexist. For example, the water phase diagram has a triple point corresponding to the single temperature and pressure at which solid, liquid, and gaseous water can coexist in a stable equilibrium (273.16 K and a partial vapor pressure of 611.657 Pa).
Regelation is the phenomenon of ice melting under pressure and refreezing when the pressure is reduced. This can be demonstrated by looping a fine wire around a block of ice, with a heavy weight attached to it. The pressure exerted on the ice slowly melts it locally, permitting the wire to pass through the entire block.
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For pure elements or compounds, e.g. pure copper, pure water, etc. the liquidus and solidus are at the same temperature, and the term melting point may be used. There are also some mixtures which melt at a particular temperature, known as congruent melting. One example is eutectic mixture. In a eutectic system, there is particular mixing ratio ...