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Spinodal decomposition in asymmetric polymer mixtures
Author(s) -
Zhang Hongdong,
Zhang Jianwen,
Yang Yuliang
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
macromolecular theory and simulations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-3919
pISSN - 1022-1344
DOI - 10.1002/mats.1995.040040601
Subject(s) - spinodal decomposition , polymer , asymmetry , spinodal , polymer blend , thermodynamics , materials science , flory–huggins solution theory , phase (matter) , statistical physics , chemistry , physics , copolymer , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , composite material
We present a preliminary numerical study of spinodal decomposition in an asymmetric polymer mixture, i.e., of polymer with different chain lengths, in three dimensions with full Flory‐Huggins‐de Gennes free energy, numerically integrating the time evolution equations for the conserved order parameter. For the sake of comparison, we also present a numerical study of the symmetric polymer mixture. The results indicate that the scaled structure factor for the asymmetric polymer mixture is much broader than that of a symmetric polymer mixture. It is interesting that the growth exponents are not symmetric around the critical quench, i.e., growth exponents on the two sides of the critical composition are different. In addition to that, the magnitudes of the pair correlation functions of asymmetric mixtures are very small for x larger than the characteristic domain size r g and the oscillations seen in the symmetric mixture are almost absent. We have attributed this finding to the rough interfaces and broader domain size distribution in the phase separated asymmetric polymer mixtures. Therefore, the simulation reveals that the asymmetry plays an important role for the spinodal decomposition dynamics of polymer mixtures.