Spinodal Decomposition in a Model Colloid-Polymer Mixture in Microgravity

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Spinodal Decomposition in a Model Colloid-Polymer Mixture in Microgravity

A. E. Bailey, W. C. K. Poon, R. J. Christianson, A. B. Schofield, U. Gasser, V. Prasad, S. Manley, P. N. Segre, L. Cipelletti, W. V. Meyer, M. P. Doherty, S. Sankaran, A. L. Jankovsky, W. L. Shiley, J. P. Bowen, J. C. Eggers, C. Kurta, T. Lorik, Jr., P. N. Pusey, and D. A. Weitz

Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 205701 – Published 12 November 2007

Abstract

We study phase separation in a deeply quenched colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity on the International Space Station using small-angle light scattering and direct imaging. We observe a clear crossover from early-stage spinodal decomposition to late-stage, interfacial-tension-driven coarsening. Data acquired over 5 orders of magnitude in time show more than 3 orders of magnitude increase in domain size, following nearly the same evolution as that in binary liquid mixtures. The late-stage growth approaches the expected linear growth rate quite slowly.

Received 8 April 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.205701

Authors & Affiliations

A. E. Bailey^1,*, W. C. K. Poon², R. J. Christianson^1,†, A. B. Schofield², U. Gasser^1,‡, V. Prasad^1,§, S. Manley^1,∥, P. N. Segre^1,§, L. Cipelletti^1,¶, W. V. Meyer³, M. P. Doherty⁴, S. Sankaran³, A. L. Jankovsky⁴, W. L. Shiley⁵, J. P. Bowen⁵, J. C. Eggers⁵, C. Kurta⁵, T. Lorik, Jr.⁵, P. N. Pusey², and D. A. Weitz¹

¹Dept. of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
²School of Physics, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, Scotland, United Kingdom
³National Center for Microgravity Research, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135, USA
⁴NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135, USA
⁵Zin Technologies, Inc., Brook Park, Ohio 44142, USA

^*Current Address: Scitech Instruments, Inc., North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7J 2S5
^†Current Address: Olin College, Newton MA, USA
^‡Current Address: ETHZ & PSI, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
^§Current Address: Dept. of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
^∥Current Address: NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
^¶Current Address: LCVN cc 26, Universite Monpellier II, P. E. Bataillon, Montpellier 34000, France

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Vol. 99, Iss. 20 — 16 November 2007

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