Diverging curvature correction to the interfacial tension in polymer solutions

Abstract

Application of polymer scaling to the problem of Tolman's length, a curvature correction coefficient in the interfacial tension, shows that Tolman's length in polymer solutions may become as large as half of the thickness of the interface. Tolman's length depends on the degree of polymerization N and the distance to the critical point of phase separation, Delta T. In the "critical" regime (N 1/2|Delta T|<<1) Tolman's length diverges upon approach to the critical temperature as approximately N 0.348|Delta T|-0.304. In the "polymer" regime (N 1/2|Delta T|>> 1) Tolman's length does not depend on N , but diverges more strongly, as approximately |Delta T|-1, proportional to the thickness of the interface.