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Updated: Nov 12, 2025

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions
Published on: April 19, 2018
Viscoelastic phase separation model for ternary polymer solutions.
Kenji Yoshimoto1, Takashi Taniguchi1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
Viscoelastic phase separation in ternary polymer solutions forms network structures. The solvent moves freely, influencing phase separation dynamics in these complex mixtures.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Viscoelastic phase separation (VPS) in polymer solutions typically results in a polymer-rich phase forming a network structure, even when it's a minor phase.
- This phenomenon is driven by polymer dynamics, specifically chain entanglement, and has been extensively studied in binary systems.
- Understanding VPS in multicomponent systems, however, remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a new model for viscoelastic phase separation in ternary polymer solutions (polymer, solvent, nonsolvent).
- To investigate the phase separation mechanism and dynamics in these ternary systems.
- To provide insights relevant to the manufacturing of polymeric separation membranes.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel viscoelastic phase separation model for ternary polymer solutions.
- Computational simulations to analyze the phase separation process and resulting structures.
- Analysis of polymer dynamics and solvent mobility within the ternary mixture.
Main Results:
- The ternary bulk system exhibits network-like structure formation during phase separation, similar to binary systems.
- A key difference in dynamics was observed: the solvent, with affinity to both polymer and nonsolvent, moves freely between phases.
- Simulation results elucidate the specific mechanisms governing phase separation in ternary polymer solutions.
Conclusions:
- Viscoelastic phase separation in ternary polymer solutions leads to network structures via mechanisms analogous to binary systems.
- The mobility of the solvent plays a crucial role in the dynamics of phase separation in ternary mixtures.
- This study enhances the understanding of phase separation in multicomponent polymer systems, vital for membrane fabrication.

