Structuring of polymer solutions upon solvent evaporation

Abstract

The morphology of solution-cast, phase-separated polymers becomes finer with increasing solvent evaporation rate. We address this observation theoretically for a model polymer where demixing is induced by steady solvent evaporation. In contrast to what is the case for a classical, thermal quench involving immiscible blends, the spinodal instability initially develops slowly and the associated length scale is not time invariant but decreases with time as t-1/2. After a time lag, phase separation accelerates. Time lag and characteristic length exhibit power-law behavior as a function of the evaporation rate with exponents of -2/3 and -1/6. Interestingly, at later stages the spinodal structure disappears completely while a second length scale develops. The associated structure coarsens but does not follow the usual Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner kinetics.