Phase separation behavior in a binary mixture fluid layer subjected to vertical temperature and concentration gradients

Abstract

In the present work, we investigated experimentally the formation mechanism of the phase separation structures and convection patterns in a layer of an isobutyric acid (IBA)-water binary mixture subjected to vertical temperature and concentration gradients. As a result, the formation mechanism of the polygonal cellular patterns with one droplet formed in a certain range of temperature gradient was speculated to be due to the Marangoni effect along the droplet surface. In addition, it was found that the average diameter of the phase-separated droplets depends on initial concentration gradient.