Monte Carlo simulations of phase separation and growth in polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) system

A Monte Carlo simulation method was used to study the phase separation process in a liquid crystal-polymer system, and in particular to examine the mechanism of phase separation as a function of quench temperature and concentration of liquid crystal (c). It was found that the phase separation and subsequent growth of the new phases proceed via nucleation in the case of c = 0.20. However, in the case of c = 0.50, spinodal decomposition is the main process. The critical temperature was estimated to be γ c = ϵ kT c = 1.5 . The results also show that the phase separation takes place at relatively early time, i.e., about t = 107 Monte Carlo steps (MCS).