Critical length and time scales during th initial stages of nucleation in polymer blends

摘要

The initial stages of nucleation during liquid-liquid phase separation in polymer mixtures were studied by time-resolved small angle neturon scatteirng. the time required for nucleation vanishes exponentially as the stability limit (spinodal) is approached. the critical nucleus size decreases monotonically with increasing quench depth and remains finite at th spinodal. Our data differ qualitatively from theoretical predications.