BINARY HARD-SPHERE, HERD ELLIPSOID LIQUID-CRYSTAL MIXTURES

A phase diagram for a fluid comprised of hard ellipsoids and hard sphe res has been calculated on the basis of a density functional theory. N eeded in the theory was the direct correlation function and this was a bstracted from previous equations of state of fluid mixtures of hard c onvex bodies. Orientational correlations in the direct correlation fun ction were implemented only to the extent that the pair excluded volum e was calculated exactly. The hard sphere, hard ellipsoid fluid mixtur e did not undergo phase separation in the isotropic phase. However, af ter the isotropic to nematic phase transition occurred, the nematic ph ase was enriched in hard ellipsoids. The isotropic to nematic phase tr ansition, with its entrained phase separation, was found to be a stron gly first order process.