Is there a critical pressure for melting ice?

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    Ice Melting Pressure
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of critical pressure for melting ice, exploring the relationship between pressure, temperature, and the phase transitions of water and ice. Participants examine the implications of high pressure on the state of ice and the potential for supercritical fluids.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the specific volume of ice is greater than that of water, suggesting that increased pressure favors the transition from ice to liquid water, leading to a negative slope on the phase diagram.
  • One participant questions whether there exists a pressure threshold at which ice must become liquid regardless of temperature, raising the possibility of theoretical scenarios.
  • Another participant references the phase diagram of water, indicating that at higher pressures, ice may adopt a denser crystal structure than liquid water.
  • One participant introduces the concept of supercritical fluids, mentioning their experience and pondering the implications of high temperature and pressure on solid states.
  • A later reply raises a question about the existence of supercritical fluids within the solid phase region of the phase diagram, inquiring whether the solid-liquid line curves sharply under high pressure conditions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the behavior of ice under high pressure and the nature of supercritical fluids, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of phase diagrams and the conditions under which different states of water and ice exist, but do not resolve the implications of these conditions or the specifics of the phase transitions.

Conrad S
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I know the specific volume for Ice is higher than water so increases in pressure make it more favorable for the ice to go to water (hence a negative slope on a phase diagram rather than positive)

Is there a point at which if the pressure was so high that it would be have to be liquid no matter what the temperature was?

Is this even theoretically possible?
 
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I took your question to be
Conrad S said:
Is there a point at which if the pressure was so high that it would be have to be liquid no matter what the temperature was? Is this even theoretically possible?
High temperature and high pressure make a supercritical fluid, with which i have a bit of experience. I'll have to think about a solid.
 
so that kind of opens up another question, so a supercritical fluid is when the the temperature and pressure are above the critical point, but at the top right of the phase diagram there is still a region where there are solids. Is is possible to have a supercritical fluid that is in the solid phase region?
or does that solid liquid line curve up really fast?
 

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