Simulation of Hard Particles in a Phase-Separating Binary Mixture

Abstract

We simulate the motion of spherical particles in a phase-separating binary mixture. By combining cell dynamical equations with Langevin dynamics for particles, we show that the addition of hard particles significantly changes both the speed and the morphology of the phase separation. At the late stage of the spinodal decomposition process, particles significantly slow down the domain growth, in qualitative agreement with earlier experimental data.