Wetting dynamics in a confined symmetric binary mixture undergoing phase separation

Abstract

Here we study the interplay between wetting and phase separation for a nearly symmetric binary mixture confined in a one-dimensional (1D) or a two-dimensional (2D) capillary. It is found that near the symmetric composition, the hydrodynamics unique to bicontinuous phase separation plays a crucial role in the wetting dynamics and the surface effect is strongly delocalized by the interconnectivity of the phases. The growth rate of the wetting droplet and the thickening rate of the wetting layer are discussed on the basis of the hydrodynamic coarsening. The effect of the dimensionality of the geometrical confinement is also discussed.