Spinodal decomposition in confined geometry (Q1289222)

When binary mixtures (AB) are quenched from the one-phase region into the unstable part of their miscibility gap, phase separation starts by spontaneous amplification of concentration fluctuations (spinodal decomposition). This growth of A-rich and B-rich domains and their morphology are distinctly modified when one considers mixtures confined in thin film geometry between planar parallel walls, or confined in cylindrical geometry in pores. This paper presents an introduction to these phenomena, comparing them to spinodal decomposition and coarsening in the bulk. Theoretical concepts, numerical simulations and some experiments are presented, and a discussion of open problems is given.