Melts of diblock copolymer / homopolymer blends exhibit multiscale phase separation: (i) macrophase separation into homopolymerand copolymer-rich macrodomains followed by (ii) microphase separation into Aand B-rich microdomains within the copolymer-rich macrodomains (cf. [16, 17, 26]). Following our previous derivation in [6], we derive a density functional theory for blends. This theory has be...

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) that are formed by mixing a polymer (usually polyethylene glycol, PEG) and a salt (e.g. phosphate, sulphate or citrate) or two polymers, and water can be effectively used for the separation and purification of proteins. The partitioning between both phases is dependent on the surface properties of the proteins and on the composition of the two phase system as ha...

Texture formation in a binary mixture of a flexible polymer and a liquid crystal has been studied using a nonlocal kinetic model for phase separation in the presence of liquid crystalline order. The model takes into account couplings between phase separation, phase ordering, and texture formation. The phase separation-phase ordering coupling leads to orientation normal to local concentration gr...

Endotoxin contamination of protein solutions was reduced by a phase separation technique using the detergent, Triton X-114. Protein solutions containing endotoxin were treated with Triton X-114 on ice. The solution was then warmed to 37 degrees C, whereupon two phases formed. The Triton X-114 phase, containing the endotoxin, was precipitated by centrifugation. The first cycle of phase separatio...