Phase transition in homogeneous flow of nematic fluids

Abstract

Possibility of fonnation of a highly concentrated anisotropic phase in a dilute soluticn of rodlike molecules is investigated. The free energy expression for quiescent solutions of rodlike particles, introduced by Flory, is extended to the case where the molecules are subject to homogeneous velocity field. An additional term accounting for the contribution of the flow field to phase transition is incorporated into the free energy expression. The contribution of stressinduced diffusion is considered too. It is concluded that there will be a highly concentrated liquid crystalline phase deposition on the stagnant regions of the conduit, provided that the solvent-solute interaction is sufficiently high. The application of the theory to the aggregation of cholesterol molecules, in blood vessels, is discussed.