MEAN-FIELD CRITICAL-BEHAVIOR OF SUSCEPTIBILITY NEAR A CURVE OF PLAIT POINTS IN A TERNARY LIQUID-MIXTURE

We report on light scattering investigations in the vicinity of plait points in a ternary liquid mixture of ethanol + water + sodium carbona te. The plait points that were explored occur in the temperature range of 300 to 378 K. The coordinates of these points were extracted from the coexistence surface of the ternary liquid system. The approach to each of these plait points is quantified better by mean-field (or clas sical) critical behaviour (exponent gamma = 1) than by 3-D Ising behav iour (gamma = 1.24). The role of electrolytes in modifying the anticip ated 3-D Ising behaviour in this system is highlighted. (C) 1998 Publi shed by Elsevier Science B.V.