On the Pressure Dependency of the Bagley Correction

Abstract

Abstract The effect of pressure on the viscosity of polymer melts is an often forgotten parameter due to the inherent difficulty to measure this quantity. Different experimental approaches have already been undertaken in literature in the past. A popular methodology to measure the pressure dependence of the viscosity is to use a capillary rheometer equipped with a counter pressure chamber in which the exit pressure can be controlled. In order to process the data, one of the key elements is the Bagley correction that is required to determine the correct entrance pressure at a specific shear rate. In all analysis approaches presented in literature on data at controlled exit pressure, the Bagley correction was always determined at atmospheric exit pressure, disgarding possible effects of an enhanced exit pressure. In this paper, a new analytical approach is presented that for the first time allows for a direct assessment of the entrance pressures obtained when capillary measurements are performed with controlled counter pressures. It is demonstrated, using polycarbonate, that the entrance pressure correction needed to obtain correct viscosity values under pressure is significantly different than the one needed to correct measurements performed at atmospheric exit pressure.