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Phase separation of mixtures after a second quench: composition heterogeneities
Pablo de Castro1, Peter Sollich2
1Disordered Systems Group, Department of Mathematics, King's College London, London, UK. pabloodecastro@gmail.com.
Soft Matter
|October 23, 2019
Summary
A second temperature quench in binary mixtures reveals new phase separation behaviors. Crowding effects lead to long-lived structures and unique morphologies, offering insights into colloidal mixture dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Colloid Science
Background:
- Dense colloidal mixtures can exhibit two-stage phase separation due to slow compositional changes.
- Previous work explored single quenches, identifying long-lived heterogeneities in denser phases.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate phase separation in binary mixtures after a second, deeper temperature quench.
- Predict novel phenomena arising from slowed compositional equilibration (fractionation) due to crowding.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a lattice theory framework previously developed for gas-liquid separation.
- Analyzing behavior within two- and three-phase coexistence regions after a double quench.
Main Results:
- Predicted long-lived regular arrangements of secondary domains.
- Observed wetting phenomena between oppositely fractionated layers.
- Identified 'surface'-directed spinodal 'waves' originating from primary interfaces.
- Described a 'dead zone' of inhibited phase separation.
- Characterized filamentous morphologies in three-phase coexistence scenarios.
Conclusions:
- A second quench introduces complex, kinetically controlled structures in binary mixtures.
- Crowding significantly impacts fractionation, leading to emergent phenomena like regular domain patterns and spinodal waves.
- The study expands understanding of phase separation dynamics in colloidal systems.
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