Direct determination of the probability distribution function of concentration in polymer mixtures undergoing phase separation

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Abstract
We report here the first use of the digital image analysis method to determine the probability distribution function of concentration in binary mixtures undergoing phase separation. This method has been applied to the mixture of poly(vinyl methyl ether) and polystyrene undergoing spinodal decomposition. The distribution function is initially Gaussian, but it becomes broader and turns bimodal upon decomposition. This transformation of distribution is related to the change of phase structure and, particularly, to the sharpening of the interfacial region.