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 throughout the initial stages of spinodal decomposition.
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Timothy J
TJ
Rappl
Nitash P
NP
Balsara