Influence of superimposed steady shear flow on the dynamic properties of polyethylene melts

Abstract

AbstractExperiments in which an oscillatory shear flow is superimposed on a steady state shear flow were performed on polyethylene melts by the use of a cone and plate type rheogoniometer. The phase difference between oscillatory shear stress and shear strain increases in all cases and for all frequencies with the increase of the superimposed shear rate. Between ω0, the frequency at which the phase difference is π/2 and the steady shear rate \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \dot \gamma $\end{document}, as found by Booij for polymer solution, the relation ω0 = 1/2 \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \dot \gamma$\end{document}. holds also for polyethylene melts. The significance of this relation is discussed briefly from the viewpoint that the entanglement density decreases with the increase of the imposed shear rate.