What Happens to Water Molecules When They Can't Expand?

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SUMMARY

This discussion explores the molecular behavior of water under extreme conditions where it cannot expand. When water is frozen without the ability to expand, it forms Ice VI at approximately 600 MPa (6000 atm), exhibiting a different crystal structure than typical ice. Conversely, when water is heated in a sealed container, it continues to increase in temperature and pressure, potentially becoming supercritical water, which has unique properties. The implications of these phenomena are significant for understanding water's behavior in extreme environments, such as the icy moons of Jupiter.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of molecular structures, particularly ice forms
  • Knowledge of pressure and temperature relationships in physical chemistry
  • Familiarity with supercritical fluids and their properties
  • Basic concepts of phase transitions in substances
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties and applications of Ice VI and other high-pressure ice forms
  • Study the behavior of supercritical water and its industrial applications
  • Examine the phase diagram of water and its implications for different states
  • Investigate the conditions of water on icy moons, particularly in relation to pressure and temperature
USEFUL FOR

Scientists, chemists, and researchers interested in physical chemistry, particularly those studying water's unique properties under extreme conditions.

RickVS
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I've always been curious about the following:

What would happen to water on a molecular level if water were frozen but was unable to expand? Would it just not freeze? Or would the molecules lose their physical properties, particularly in relation to one another?

And what would happen to water on a molecular level if water were boiled but was unable to expand? Would it just not turn into a gas? What if you heated it to almost the melting point of its steel container? And again, how would this effect its molecular structure?

I'm thinking if you had a gallon of water in the middle of a steel or lead block the size of a city block (preventing the water from cracking or bursting its container, and then cooled or heated it accordingly. There would be no place for the water to expand. Thanks!

Rick
 
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There are several high pressure ice forms. The crystal structures are somewhat different than the normal diamond like ice. Some of the high pressure ice forms are expected to exist in e.g. the icy moons of jupiter.
If you heat water in a sealed container it just gets hotter (and very reactive). It takes quite some pressure to keep it from expanding. More interesting is supercritical water but that takes us off track...
 
http://www.btinternet.com/~martin.chaplin/phase.html

It will froze as Ice VI at about 600 MPa (6000 atm).
 
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