Abstract
By perturbing about a general monodisperse system, we provide a complete description of two-phase equilibria in any system which is slightly polydisperse in some property (e.g., particle size, charge, etc.). We derive a universal law of fractionation which is corroborated by comprehensive experiments on a model colloid-polymer mixture. We furthermore predict that phase separation is an effective method of reducing polydispersity only for systems with a skewed distribution of the polydisperse property.
- Received 14 April 1998
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.1326
©1998 American Physical Society