Phase transition kinetics in polydisperse systems

Abstract

The use of moment densities for understanding phase transition kinetics in polydisperse systems is discussed. The role of size partitioning and the distinction between quenched and annealed phase diagrams is emphasised. Polydisperse Flory–Huggins theory is used as an example, and Cahn–Hilliard type equations for the local moment densities are constructed for this model via a random phase approximation. They are used to examine the initial growth rate of density fluctuations which are found to reflect the annealed and quenched spinodal lines in the phase diagram.