Phase separation of binary fluids in porous media: Asymmetries in pore geometry and fluid composition

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Abstract
Phase separation of a binary Lennard-Jones fluid confined in a variety of two-dimensional pores is studied using molecular dynamics simluations. We consider a simple strip pore, an uneven single pore, and a junction made out of two pores. We have studied dynamics of phase separation for both critical and off-critical composition of the binary fluid. We find the existence of long-lived metastable states in the presence of asymmetries both in the geometry and the composition of the fluid. The results are compared with theoretical predictions and with experimental observations.