The Transport Properties of Supercooled Water

Abstract

A technique for measuring the electrical conductivity of dilute aqueous solutions in the supercooled region is described. Results are reported for KCl and HCl solutions for temperatures down to -32 °C and for KCl solutions containing nonelectrolytes (tetrahydrofurane, t-butanol and formamide were used). Preliminary work on the application of a piezoelectric viscometer to supercooled water is also described; however, no results are available at the present stage of development. The conductivity results are discussed with reference to the anomalous behaviour of liquid water. Particular attention is given to the likely divergence of conductivity (and other properties of water) at a singular temperature below the supercooling limit of water (-42 °C at 0.1 MPa).