Dynamics Of A Flexible Polymer Chain In Steady Shear Flow

The behavior of polymer solutions in simple shear flows has been the subject of considerable research in the past. On the other hand, reports on polymers in elongational flow have appeared comparatively recently in the literature. Elongational flow with an inherent low vorticity is known to be more effective in extending polymer chains than simple shear flow and thus is more interesting from the point of view of basic (molecular chain dynamics at high deformation) and applied polymer science (rheology, fiber extrusion, drag reduction, flow through porous media). Undoubtly, one landmark in the field of polymer dynamics in elongational flow was the notion of critical strain-rate for chain extension, initially put forward by A. Peterlin (1966) and later refined into the "coil-stretching" transition by P. G. de Gennes and H. Hinch (1974). In the two decades which followed, significant progress in the understanding of chain conformation in "strong" flow has been accomplished through a combination of advances in instrumentation, computation techniques and theoretical studies. As a result of the multidisciplinary nature of the field, information on polymer chains in "strong" flow is accessible only from reviews and research papers scattered in disparate scientific journals. An important objective of this book is to remedy that situation by providing the reader with up-to-date knowledge in a single volume. The editors therefore invited leading specialists to provide both fundamental and applied information on the multiple facets of chain deformation in elongational flow.

This book provides a comprehensive account of the modern theory for the dynamical properties of polymer solutions. The theory has undergone dramatic evolution over the last two decades due to the introduction of new methods and concepts that have extended the frontier of theory from dilute solutions in which polymers move independently to concentrated solutions where many polymers converge. Among the properties examined are viscoelasticity, diffusion, dynamic light scattering, and electric birefringence. Nonlinear viscoelasticity is discussed in detail on the basis of molecular dynamical models. The book bridges the gap between classical theory and new developments, creating a consistent picture of polymer solution dynamics over the entire concentration range.

This monograph presents theoretical and experimental studies of flows of elastic liquids. Falling into this category are particularly the melts and concentrated solutions of such flexible-chain polymers as polyethylene, polyisobutylene and polypropylene, all of which are widely used in polymer processing. These polydisperse polymers vary greatly, from batch to batch, in their mechanical properties and 20% variation in a property is believed to be good enough. l 7 All recent books - devoted to the rheology of polymers do not answer the question of which constitutive equations should be used for solving the fluid mechanic problems of polymer processing in the usual case of an appreciable nonlinear region of deformation where nonlinear effects of shear and extensional elasticity are very important. Viscoelastic constitut ive equations cited commonly (see, e.g. Refs 5 and 6) do not describe simultaneously even the simplest cases of deformations, viz. simple shear and uniaxial extension. Moreover, some of them are internally inconsist ent and sometimes display highly unstable behaviour in simple flows without any fundamental reasons. Even more respected molecular ap free from these defects.