Two- and three-phase equilibria of polydisperse Yukawa hard-sphere fluids confined in random porous media: high temperature approximation and scaled particle theory

Abstract

We have studied the phase behavior of polydisperse Yukawa hard-sphere fluid confined in random porous media using extension and combination of high temperature approximation and scaled particle theory. The porous media are represented by the matrix of randomly placed hard-sphere obstacles. Due to the confinement, polydispersity effects are substantially enhanced. At an intermediate degree of fluid polydispersity and low density of the matrix, we observe two-phase coexistence with two critical points, and cloud and shadow curves forming closed loops of ellipsoidal shape. With the increase of the matrix density and the constant degree of polydispersity, these two critical points merge and disappear, and at lower temperatures the system fractionates into three coexisting phases. A similar phase behavior was observed in the absence of the porous media caused, however, by the increase of the polydispersity.