title: Tracking three-phase coexistences in binary mixtures of hard plates and spheres.
abstract: The stability of demixing phase transition in binary mixtures of hard plates (with thickness L and diameter D) and hard spheres (with diameter σ) is studied by means of Parsons-Lee theory. The isotropic-isotropic demixing, which is found in mixtures of large spheres and small plates, is very likely to be pre-empted by crystallization. In contrast, the nematic-nematic demixing, which is obtained in mixtures of large plates and small spheres, can be stabilized at low diameter ratios (σ/D) and aspect ratios (L/D). At intermediate values of σ/D, where the sizes of the components are similar, neither the isotropic-isotropic nor the nematic-nematic demixing can be stabilized, but a very strong fractionation takes place between a plate rich nematic and a sphere rich isotropic phases. Our results show that the excluded volume interactions are capable alone to explain the experimental observation of the nematic-nematic demixing, but they fail in the description of isotropic-isotropic one [M. Chen et al., Soft Matter 11, 5775 (2015)].
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, College of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71454, Iran.
authors.forename: Roohollah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aliabadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, College of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71454, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics and Mechatronics, University of Pannonia, P.O. Box 158, Veszprém H-8201, Hungary.
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varga