Numerical Studies of Phase Separation in Models of Binary Alloys and Polymer Blends

• Published in: Physica scripta. Topical issue Vol. T33; pp. 12 - 19
• Main Authors: Gunton, J D, Toral, R, Chakrabarti, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 25.08.1989
• ISSN: 0281-1847

This paper reviews some recent results concerning numerical studies of the Cahn--Hillard equation in three dimensions to describe the phase separation process in a mixture after a quench within the coexistence curve. The focus is on the late time behavior for two experimentally relevant systems: binary alloys and binary polymer blends. It is found that, in both systems, dynamical scaling with a time dependent characteristic length R(t) holds at sufficiently late times and that the late-time behavior for R(t) can be described by a modifed Lifschitz--Slyozov law: R(t) = c + dt exp n , where n = 1/3. For polymer mixtures, the independence of the growth law exponent n of the quench temperature is in contradiction with some recent experiments on polymer systems. Graphs. 40 ref.--AA