Diverging curvature correction to the interfacial tension in polymer solutions

Application of polymer scaling to the problem of Tolman's length, a curvature correction coefficient in the interfacial tension, shows that Tolman's length in polymer solutions may become as large as half of the thickness of the interface. Tolman's length depends on the degree of polymerization N and the distance to the critical point of phase separation, Delta T. In the critical regime (N-1/2 parallel to Delta T parallel to < 1) Tolman's length diverges upon approach to the critical temperature as similar to N-0.348 parallel to Delta T parallel to(-0.304). In the polymer regime (N-1/2 parallel to Delta T parallel to > 1) Tolman's length does not depend on N, but diverges more strongly, as similar to parallel to Delta T parallel to(-1), proportional to the thickness of the interface.