Miscibility gap

A miscibility gap is a region in a phase diagram for a mixture of components where the mixture exists as two or more phases – any region of composition of mixtures where the constituents are not completely miscible.

The IUPAC Gold Book defines miscibility gap as "Area within the coexistence curve of an isobaric phase diagram (temperature vs composition) or an isothermal phase diagram (pressure vs composition)."[1]

A miscibility gap between isostructural phases may be described as the solvus, a term also used to describe the boundary on a phase diagram between a miscibility gap and other phases.[2]

Thermodynamically, miscibility gaps indicate a maximum (e.g. of Gibbs energy) in the composition range.[3][4]

  1. ^ "miscibility gap". IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology. Online version 3.0.1. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. 2019. doi:10.1351/goldbook.MT07270.
  2. ^ Bucher, Kurt; Grapes, Rodney (2011), "4.7.4 Miscibility Gaps and Solvus Thermometry", Petrogenesis of Metamorphic Rocks, Springer
  3. ^ "Miscibility Gaps", MTDATA – Phase Diagram Software from the National Physical Laboratory, 7 May 2010
  4. ^ "Phase diagrams" (PDF), www.its.caltech.edu, p. 1