Spinodal decomposition in a binary polymer mixture: Dynamic self-consistent-field theory and Monte Carlo simulations

We investigate how the dynamics of a single chain influences the kinetics of early stage phase separation in a symmetric binary polymer mixture. We consider quenches from the disordered phase into the region of spinodal instability. On a mean field level we approach this problem with two methods: a dynamical extension of the self-consistent-field theory for Gaussian chains, with the density variables evolving in time, and the method of the external potential dynamics where the effective external fields are propagated in time. Different wave vector dependencies of the kinetic coefficient are taken into account. These early stages of spinodal decomposition are also studied through Monte Carlo simulations employing the bond fluctuation model that maps the chains—in our case with 64 effective segments—on a coarse grained lattice. The results obtained through self-consistent-field calculations and Monte Carlo simulations can be compared because the time, length, and temperature scales are mapped onto each other through the diffusion constant, the chain extension, and the energy of mixing. The quantitative comparison of the relaxation rate of the global structure factor shows that a kinetic coefficient according to the Rouse model gives a much better agreement than a local, i.e., wave vector independent, kinetic factor. Including fluctuations in the self-consistent-field calculations leads to a shorter time span of spinodal behavior and a reduction of the relaxation rate for smaller wave vectors and prevents the relaxation rate from becoming negative for larger values of the wave vector. This is also in agreement with the simulation results.