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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
Published on: May 20, 2014
Spinodal decomposition in a model colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity
A E Bailey1, W C K Poon, R J Christianson
1Dept. of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Abstract:
We study phase separation in a deeply quenched colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity on the International Space Station using small-angle light scattering and direct imaging. We observe a clear crossover from early-stage spinodal decomposition to late-stage, interfacial-tension-driven coarsening. Data acquired over 5 orders of magnitude in time show more than 3 orders of magnitude increase in domain size, following nearly the same evolution as that in binary liquid mixtures. The late-stage growth approaches the expected linear growth rate quite slowly.
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