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Published on: June 7, 2018
Non-isothermal model for nematic spherulite growth
Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir1, Ezequiel R Soulé, Alejandro D Rey
1Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B2. nasser.abukhdeir@mcgill.ca
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 30, 2008
Summary
This study models the growth of nematic spherulites using a Landau-de Gennes approach. Including thermal effects accurately predicts growth transitions, aligning with experimental findings.
Area of Science:
- Computational physics
- Materials science
- Liquid crystal physics
Background:
- Nematic spherulites form during the isotropic/nematic phase transition.
- Understanding their growth dynamics is crucial for materials applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally investigate the growth of 2D nematic spherulites.
- To incorporate thermal effects into growth models.
- To analyze the transition between different growth regimes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Landau-de Gennes-type quadrupolar tensor order parameter model.
- Derived and incorporated an anisotropic energy balance into a time-dependent model.
- Employed an interfacial nematodynamic model.
Main Results:
- Determined growth laws (t(n)) for different spherulite morphologies.
- Showed that thermal energy balance predicts a transition from volume-driven (n=1) to thermally limited (n≈1/2) growth.
- Results align well with experimental observations.
Conclusions:
- Thermal effects are critical for accurately modeling spherulite growth.
- The study provides insights into the interactions governing spherulite growth regimes.
- The model successfully captures the transition in growth behavior.
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