A finite difference study of the stretching and break-up of filaments of polymer solutions

Abstract

The stretching and break-up of a viscoelastic filament pulled by a constant weight is studied numerically by a finite difference method. The results show the following tendencies: (1) Newtonian filaments, even in the absence of surface tension, show a rapid increase in elongation at one particular point (they “break” there). (2) The addition of a viscoelastic polymer prevents, or at least delays, the break-up, even if it makes only a small difference to shear viscosity. (3) Surface tension accelerates break-up, but even in the presence of surface tension elasticity has a stabilizing effect.