We study the problem of phase separation in systems with a positive definite
order parameter, and in particular, in systems with absorbing states. Owing to
the presence of a single minimum in the free energy driving the relaxation
kinetics, there are some basic properties differing from standard phase
separation. We study analytically and numerically this class of systems; in
particular we determine the phase diagram, the growth laws in one and two
dimensions and the presence of scale invariance. Some applications are also
discussed.Comment: Submitted to Europhysics Let