The process of surface generation due to breakage of fluids is considered with respect to the limiting relationship between the input energy for breakage and the resulting surface energy output. A new thermodynamic law is formulated, stating that the energy required for breakage of the fluid into detached fragments cannot be converted completely to surface energy. This law is presented in four alternative forms that predict the existence of a maximum in the surface energy between the initial and final states of the fluid, and formation of a hysteresis loop in a complete breakage and coalescence cycle. Analysis of deformation and breakage of a sphere and an infinitely, long cylinder outlines some implications of the law. It is shown that in both cases a range of confrgurational instability exists. In contrast to Rayleigh instability that evolves from small perturbations, the configurational instability is reached at significant deformation levels. The conditions for enhanced efficiency, of surface energy, generation are discussed, and it is shown that the smaller the deviation of the fragments are from sphericity is, the higher is the expected efficiency.