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arXiv · 1512.03258

Phase-feld theory of multi-component incompressible Cahn-Hilliard liquids

Gyula I. Toth·Mojdeh Zarifi·Bjorn Kvamme
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Abstract

In this paper a generalization of the Cahn-Hilliard theory of binary liquids is presented for multi-component incompressible liquid mixtures. First, a thermodynamically consistent convection-diffusion type dynamics is derived on the basis of the Lagrange multiplier formalism. Next, a generalization of the binary Cahn-Hilliard free energy functional is presented for arbitrary number of components, offering the utilization of independent pairwise equilibrium interfacial properties. We show that the equilibrium two-component interfaces minimize the functional, and demonstrate, that the energy penalization for multi-component states increases strictly monotonously as a function of the number of components being present. We validate the model via equilibrium contact angle calculations in ternary and quaternary (4-component) systems. Simulations addressing liquid flow assisted spinodal decomposition in these systems are also presented.

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Gyula I. Toth, Mojdeh Zarifi, Bjorn Kvamme. 2015-12-10. Phase-feld theory of multi-component incompressible Cahn-Hilliard liquids. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.93.013126

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