Spinodal phase separation in complex fluids

F. Schmid , R. Blossey

We study the early stages of the phase separation of an amphiphilic system into two fluids, one structured and the other not, in the context of a one-component order-parameter model. A generalization of the Langer — Bar-on — Miller approximation permits the calculation of the time evolution of the structure function in the mixture. Near the structured-fluid side of the coexistence, we find that the spinodal is much more clearly observable and is closer to the binodal than on the unstructured side.

Domaines: Articles anciens

F. Schmid, R. Blossey. Spinodal phase separation in complex fluids. Journal de Physique II, 1994, 4 (7), pp.1195-1207. ⟨10.1051/jp2:1994194⟩. ⟨jpa-00248037⟩