14 th October 2008

SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION
SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION
. A brief report based on literature search on Spinodal Decomposition
07010046 VISHNU NARAYANAN SURESH Mechanical Department
07010046 VISHNU NARAYANAN SURESH Mechanical Department
07010045 J G M V RAM!D Mechanical Department
07010045 J G M V RAM!D Mechanical Department
07010043 SHARA" #HANDRA A$AR Mechanical Department
07010043 SHARA" #HANDRA A$AR Mechanical Department
Introduction
Introduction
( ) Spinodal decomposition is a method process b% &hich a mi'ture of t&o
or more materials can separate into distinct re(ions &ith different
. material concentrations "his method differs from nucleation in that
phase separation due to spinodal decomposition occurs throu(hout the
, . material and not )ust at nucleation sites
hase separation occurs &hene*er a material transitions into the unstable
. , re(ion of the phase dia(ram "he boundar% of the unstable re(ion
, sometimes referred to as the binodal is found b% performin( a common
- . tan(ent construction of the free ener(% dia(ram Inside the binodal is a
, re(ion called the spinodal &hich is found b% determinin( &here the
- . cur*ature of the free ener(% cur*e is ne(ati*e
Initiation for this choice of topic
Initiation for this choice of topic
. Spinodal decompositions are a *er% interestin( section of stud% $e
. Spinodal decompositions are a *er% interestin( section of stud% $e

chose this topic as it &as somethin( ne& and &e &ished it &ould be
chose this topic as it &as somethin( ne& and &e &ished it &ould be

. interestin( to research on somethin( out of the s%llabus
. interestin( to research on somethin( out of the s%llabus
Description
Description
, As mentioned in the Introduction section
, As mentioned in the Introduction section
spinodal decomposition occurs
spinodal decomposition occurs

, . throu(hout the material and not )ust at nucleation sites +inodal is the
, . throu(hout the material and not )ust at nucleation sites +inodal is the

. name (i*en to the boundar% of the unstable re(ion $hen the binodal
. name (i*en to the boundar% of the unstable re(ion $hen the binodal

, has a re(ion of ne(ati*e cur*ature that portion is referred to as
, has a re(ion of ne(ati*e cur*ature that portion is referred to as

. spinodal
. spinodal
"
"
he mechanism b% &hich the s%stem decomposes into its e,uilibrium
he mechanism b% &hich the s%stem decomposes into its e,uilibrium

. phases is different than the mechanism &hen the cur*ature is positi*e
. phases is different than the mechanism &hen the cur*ature is positi*e

"his distinction bet&een mechanisms &hen the cur*ature is ne(ati*e
"his distinction bet&een mechanisms &hen the cur*ature is ne(ati*e

( ) called the spinodal decomposition mechanism &hen the cur*ature is
( ) called the spinodal decomposition mechanism &hen the cur*ature is

( ) positi*e called the nucleation and (ro&th mechanism is important for
( ) positi*e called the nucleation and (ro&th mechanism is important for

. -inetics It &ill be useful to discuss the spinodal mechanism in the
. -inetics It &ill be useful to discuss the spinodal mechanism in the

, conte't of free ener(% cur*es for those cases in &hich the molar free
, conte't of free ener(% cur*es for those cases in &hich the molar free

. ener(% of mi'in( has re(ions of ne(ati*e cur*ature
. ener(% of mi'in( has re(ions of ne(ati*e cur*ature
The entire process is better understood with the aid of
The entire process is better understood with the aid of

: graphs
: graphs
#onsider a part of the free ener(% cur*e &here the cur*ature is
#onsider a part of the free ener(% cur*e &here the cur*ature is

: ne(ati*e
: ne(ati*e

Suppose that a material is manufactured &ith a composition . that is a
Suppose that a material is manufactured &ith a composition . that is a

: function of some spatial coordinate /
: function of some spatial coordinate /
Suppose that a *er% small fluctuation occurs and consider &hat happens
Suppose that a *er% small fluctuation occurs and consider &hat happens

: to the free ener(% for the small fluctuation
: to the free ener(% for the small fluctuation
, - Apparentl% the free ener(% char(e is ne(ati*e for an arbitraril% small
, - Apparentl% the free ener(% char(e is ne(ati*e for an arbitraril% small

fluctuation in composition such that one part of the s%stem (ets more
fluctuation in composition such that one part of the s%stem (ets more

. concentrated at the e'pense of another "he s%stem is inherentl%
. concentrated at the e'pense of another "he s%stem is inherentl%

: unstable and and phase separation &ill proceed as illustrated
: unstable and and phase separation &ill proceed as illustrated

"his process is called spinodal decomposition and it occurs spontaneousl%
"his process is called spinodal decomposition and it occurs spontaneousl%

&hen
&hen
:
:
: Dynamics of Spinodal Decomposition
: Dynamics of Spinodal Decomposition
, - In the spinodal re(ion of the phase dia(ram the free ener(% can be
, - In the spinodal re(ion of the phase dia(ram the free ener(% can be

, lo&ered b% allo&in( the components to separate thus increasin( the
, lo&ered b% allo&in( the components to separate thus increasin( the

relati*e concentration of a component material in a particular re(ion of
relati*e concentration of a component material in a particular re(ion of

. the material "he concentration &ill continue to increase until the
. the material "he concentration &ill continue to increase until the

. material reaches the stable part of the phase dia(ram Ver% lar(e
. material reaches the stable part of the phase dia(ram Ver% lar(e

re(ions of material &ill chan(e their concentration slo&l% due to the
re(ions of material &ill chan(e their concentration slo&l% due to the

. amount of material &hich must be mo*ed Ver% small re(ions &ill shrin-
. amount of material &hich must be mo*ed Ver% small re(ions &ill shrin-

a&a% due to the ener(% cost in maintainin( an interface bet&een t&o
a&a% due to the ener(% cost in maintainin( an interface bet&een t&o

. dissimilar component materials
. dissimilar component materials
"o initiate a homo(eneous ,uench a
"o initiate a homo(eneous ,uench a

, , control parameter such as temperature is abruptl% and (loball%
, , control parameter such as temperature is abruptl% and (loball%

. chan(ed 0or a binar% mi'ture of
. chan(ed 0or a binar% mi'ture of
A
A
- t%pe and
- t%pe and
+
+
- , t%pe materials
- , t%pe materials

the
the
- : 1andau free ener(% is (i*en b%
- : 1andau free ener(% is (i*en b%
"he mi'ture concentration
"he mi'ture concentration
= 2 3
= 2 3
A
A
3
3
+
+
is the densit% difference of the
is the densit% difference of the

, mi'ture components the control parameters &hich determine the stabilit%
, mi'ture components the control parameters &hich determine the stabilit%

of the mi'ture are
of the mi'ture are
A
A
and
and
+
+
, and the interfacial ener(% cost is
, and the interfacial ener(% cost is

determined b%
determined b%
. 4
. 4
- Diffusi*e motion often dominates at the len(th scale of spinodal
- Diffusi*e motion often dominates at the len(th scale of spinodal

. decomposition "he e,uation of motion for a diffusi*e s%stem is
. decomposition "he e,uation of motion for a diffusi*e s%stem is
:
:
&here
&here
m
m
, is the diffusi*e mobilit%
, is the diffusi*e mobilit%
( 5
( 5
'
'
)
)
is some random noise such that
is some random noise such that

and the chemical potential
and the chemical potential
6
6
- : is deri*ed from the 1andau free ener(%
- : is deri*ed from the 1andau free ener(%

$e see that if
$e see that if
A
A
< 0, small fluctuations around
< 0, small fluctuations around
= 0 2
= 0 2
ha*e a ne(ati*e
ha*e a ne(ati*e

. effecti*e diffusi*e mobilit% and &ill (ro& rather than shrin- "o
. effecti*e diffusi*e mobilit% and &ill (ro& rather than shrin- "o

, understand the (ro&th d%namics &e disre(ard the fluctuatin( currents
, understand the (ro&th d%namics &e disre(ard the fluctuatin( currents

due to
due to
, 5 lineari/e the e,uation of motion around
, 5 lineari/e the e,uation of motion around
= 2 2
= 2 2
in
in
and perform
and perform

a 0ourier "ransform into
a 0ourier "ransform into
-
-
- . space "his leads to
- . space "his leads to
&hich has an e'ponential (ro&th
&hich has an e'ponential (ro&th
: solution
: solution
Since the (ro&th rate
Since the (ro&th rate
R
R
(
(
-
-
)
)
, is e'ponential the fastest (ro&in( an(ular
, is e'ponential the fastest (ro&in( an(ular

&a*enumber
&a*enumber

. &ill ,uic-l% dominate the morpholo(% $e no& see that spinodal
. &ill ,uic-l% dominate the morpholo(% $e no& see that spinodal

decomposition results in domains of the characteristic len(th scale called
decomposition results in domains of the characteristic len(th scale called

the
the
spinodal len(th
spinodal len(th
:
:

References
References
1.
^
^
, . .. Jones Richard A 1
, . .. Jones Richard A 1
Soft #ondensed Matter
Soft #ondensed Matter
. !'ford
. !'ford

, 33. Uni*ersit% ress
, 33. Uni*ersit% ress
0198505892 IS+N
0198505892 IS+N
. Retrie*ed
. Retrie*ed

on
on
2007
2007
-
-
10-22
10-22
.
.
2.
^
^
, . . (1981). " #arpenter M A
, . . (1981). " #arpenter M A
" " A conditional spinodal &ithin
" " A conditional spinodal &ithin

the peristerite miscibilit% (ap of pla(ioclase
the peristerite miscibilit% (ap of pla(ioclase

feldspars
feldspars
".
".
Journal of the American Mineralo(ist
Journal of the American Mineralo(ist
66
66
: 553
: 553
560.
560.

3.
3. :// . . / http pruffle mit edu
:// . . / http pruffle mit edu
4. . . / / _ &&& &i-ipedia or( &i-i Spinal decomposition
4. . . / / _ &&& &i-ipedia or( &i-i Spinal decomposition