Demixing of Materials under Chemical Potential Gradients

A steady-state demixing of initially homogeneous solid solution which occurs in binary oxides under oxygen partial pressure gradient is treated by the path probability method of irreversible statistical mechanics from an atomistic point of view. The larger the difference between the diffusion coefficients of constituent species is, the larger is the degree of demixing. Essential features of demixing by diffusion, however, do not depend on whether the driving force is the chemical potential gradient, the electric field, or others.