Title: spinodal decomposition
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - spinodal decomposition
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.S05869
Status: current

Definition
A clustering reaction in a homogeneous, supersaturated solution (solid or liquid) which is unstable against infinitesimal fluctuations in density or composition. The solution therefore separates spontaneously into two phases, starting with small fluctuations and proceeding with a decrease in the Gibbs energy without a nucleation barrier.

Related Term
- unstable: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/U06569

Source
- PAC, 1994, 66, 577. 'Definitions of terms relating to phase transitions of the solid state (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 591 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466030577)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/S05869/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/S05869/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/S05869/xml

Citation: Citation: 'spinodal decomposition' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.S05869
License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.
Collection: If you are interested in licensing the Gold Book for commercial use, please contact the IUPAC Executive Director at executivedirector@iupac.org .
Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-08-10T00:48:59+00:00