Flory–Huggins solution theory is a model that describes the thermodynamics of mixing in polymer solutions and blends. Developed independently by Paul J. Flory and Maurice Huggins in the 1940s, the theory provides a framework for understanding how polymers interact with solvents and with each other when they are mixed.
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Flory–Huggins solution theory is an incompressible lattice description of mixing a polymer with a solvent. A chain occupies connected sites, while a solvent molecule occupies one; the displayed mixing free energy is per site. The first two terms are translational entropy of mixing contributions and the last is a mean-field excess contact interaction. A positive interaction parameter penalizes polymer–solvent contacts. If the site volume is , the physical free-energy density is and the polymer volume fraction gives monomer number density . Composition-dependent interaction parameters require extra derivative terms in stability calculations.