COALESCENCE INDUCED DOMAIN GROWTH NEAR A WALL DURING SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION

We propose a model whereby the average size of domains in a binary mix ture undergoing spinodal decomposition near a wall can achieve growth exponents much larger than the usual bulk value of 1/3. The accelerate d growth is associated with the nonwetting phase coarsening anisotropi cally against a wall coated with the wetting phase. The larger exponen ts arise from the coupling of domain coalescence with Lifshitz-Slyozov type growth, modified to include the geometric constraint of growth n ear a wall. We include experimental tests of these ideas.