Coarsening of complex microstructures following spinodal decomposition

Does coarsening begin during the initial stages of spinodal decomposition?

The initial stages of spinodal decomposition were studied by subjecting a critical blend of model polyolefins to a pressure quench and monitoring the evolution by time-resolved small angle neutron scattering. Contrary to the predictions of the widely accepted Cahn-Hilliard-Cook theory, we demonstrate that coarsening of the phase-separated structure begins immediately after the quench and occurs...

Spinodal decomposition and coarsening fronts in the Cahn-Hilliard equation

We study spinodal decomposition and coarsening when initiated by localized disturbances in the Cahn-Hilliard equation. Spatio-temporal dynamics are governed by multi-stage invasion fronts. The first front invades a spinodal unstable equilibrium and creates a spatially periodic unstable pattern. Secondary fronts invade this unstable pattern and create a coarser pattern in the wake. We give linea...

Microdynamics and arrest of coarsening during spinodal decomposition in thermoreversible colloidal gels.

Coarsening and kinetic arrest of colloidal systems undergoing spinodal decomposition (SD) is a conserved motif for forming hierarchical, bicontinuous structures. Although the thermodynamic origins of SD in colloids are widely known, the microstructural processes responsible for its coarsening and associated dynamics en route to arrest remain elusive. To better elucidate the underlying large-sca...

Phase-field modeling of the dynamics of multicomponent vesicles: Spinodal decomposition, coarsening, budding, and fission.

We develop a thermodynamically consistent phase-field model to simulate the dynamics of multicomponent vesicles. The model accounts for bending stiffness, spontaneous curvature, excess (surface) energy, and a line tension between the coexisting surface phases. Our approach is similar to that recently used by Wang and Du [J. Math. Biol. 56, 347 (2008)] with a key difference. Here, we concentrate...

Spinodal decomposition in microemulsions