Determination of interfacial tensions for Xe nanoprecipitates in Al at 300 K

An expression for the Laplace pressure associated with a cuboctahedral (tetrakaidodecahedral) void having {111} and {200} facets is derived, which includes anisotropy of void facet energies. The result is compared with experiment at 300 K for the equilibrium size of the largest Xe nanocrystal, constrained within such voids in Al. From the largest Xe nanocrystal, the Al-Xe interfacial tensions are deduced by setting the corresponding calculated Laplace pressure equal to the equilibrium pressure for melting of Xe at 300 K, obtained from empirical bulk compression data. These interfacial tension values are 1.05 J m^-2 for {111} facets and 1.10 J m^-2 for {200} facets, deduced from the size of two large Xe nanoprecipitates. These values are believed to approximate closely the corresponding surface tensions for Al at 300 K.