On the theory of Ostwald ripening in the presence of different mass transfer mechanisms

A theoretical description of the concluding stage of Ostwald ripening based on the Slezov theory (Slezov, 1978) and recently developed approach (Alexandrov, 2015) is formulated. The present analysis focuses on the formation and relaxation of the particle size distribution function from the intermediate stage of ripening process to its final state, which is described by the universal distribution. The boundaries of the transition layer in the vicinity of a blocking point are found. The time-dependent corrections to the growth rates of crystals and the distribution functions are determined for different mass transfer mechanisms. The obtained analytical distributions are in good agreement with experimental data. All analytical results are presented in a form directly suitable for their use in applications.