The inert gas effect on the rate of evaporation of zinc and cadmium

An experimental study has been made to investigate the effect of argon and helium on the rate of evaporation of zinc and cadmium under one atmosphere pressure at temperatures ranging from 500⁰C to 850⁰C. The experimental results were compared with the maximum rates calculated using the effusion formula as well as with values obtained using three different types of equations based on kinetic theory, diffusion theory, and empirical data. The rate of evaporation in this study appeared to be diffusion controlled. Equations have been derived for expressing the rate of evaporation of zinc and cadmium in both argon and helium as functions of temperature of the liquid zinc and cadmium. It was found that the rates of evaporation of zinc and cadmium were higher in helium than in argon, with the difference increasing with increasing temperature. it was also found that the experimental results obtained in argon agree with the calculated values better than those obtained in helium, possibly due to slight oxidation of the cadmium --Abstract, page iii