Binodal

A phase diagram displaying binodal curves.

In thermodynamics, the binodal, also known as the coexistence curve or binodal curve, denotes the condition at which two distinct phases may coexist. Equivalently, it is the boundary between the set of conditions in which it is thermodynamically favorable for the system to be fully mixed and the set of conditions in which it is thermodynamically favorable for it to phase separate.^[1] In general, the binodal is defined by the condition at which the chemical potential of all solution components is equal in each phase. The extremum of a binodal curve in temperature coincides with the one of the spinodal curve and is known as a critical point.

Binary systems

In binary (two component) mixtures, the binodal can be determined at a given temperature by drawing a tangent line to the free energy.^[1]

References

1. 1 2 IUPAC binodal curve definition http://old.iupac.org/goldbook/BT07273.pdf accessed 2/20/13

States of matter
State	Solid Liquid Gas / Vapor Plasma
Low energy	Bose–Einstein condensate Fermionic condensate Degenerate matter Quantum Hall Rydberg matter Strange matter Superfluid Supersolid Photonic matter
High energy	QCD matter Lattice QCD Quark–gluon plasma Supercritical fluid
Other states	Colloid Glass Liquid crystal Quantum spin liquid Magnetically ordered Antiferromagnet Ferrimagnet Ferromagnet String-net liquid Superglass
Transitions	Boiling Boiling point Condensation Critical line Critical point Crystallization Deposition Evaporation Flash evaporation Freezing Chemical ionization Ionization Lambda point Melting Melting point Recombination Regelation Saturated fluid Sublimation Supercooling Triple point Vaporization Vitrification
Quantities	Enthalpy of fusion Enthalpy of sublimation Enthalpy of vaporization Latent heat Latent internal energy Trouton's ratio Volatility
Concepts	Binodal Compressed fluid Cooling curve Equation of state Leidenfrost effect macroscopic quantum phenomena Mpemba effect Order and disorder (physics) Spinodal Superconductivity Superheated vapor Superheating Thermo-dielectric effect
Lists	List of states of matter