Introduction to Polymer Rheology

An introduction to the rheology of polymers, with simple math Designed for practicing scientists and engineers interested in polymer rheology science, education, consulting, or research and development, Introduction to Polymer Rheology is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to the study of the deformation and flow of matter under applied stress. Often considered a complicated topic for beginners, the book makes grasping the fundamentals of polymer rheology easy by presenting information in an approachable way and limiting the use of complex mathematics. By doing so, this introductory overview provides readers with easy access to the key concepts underlying the flow behavior of polymer melts, solutions, and suspensions. Incorporating sample problems that are worked through and explained on the page, as well as numerous practice problems to gauge learning comprehension, the book prepares new students and practitioners for moving on to more advanced concepts. Comprising twelve chapters, the book covers stress, velocity and rate of deformation, the relationship between stress and rate of deformation (Newtonian fluid), generalized Newtonian fluids, normal stresses and elastic behavior, experimental methods, small and large strain, the molecular origins of rheological behavior, elementary polymer processing concepts, quality control in rheology, and the flow of modified polymers and those with supermolecular structure. The essential reference for accurately interpreting polymer rheology data, Introduction to Polymer Rheology provides readers with an elementary understanding of the key issues and modern approaches to resolving problems in the field. An Instructor s Guide with answers to select problems in the text, 60 new problems with full solutions, hints for effective presentation of the material in the text, and an errata listing is available for professors using the book as a course textbook.

An introduction to the rheology of polymers, with simple mathDesigned for practicing scientists and engineers interested in polymer rheology science, education, consulting, or research and development, Introduction to Polymer Rheology is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to the study of the deformation and flow of matter under applied stress. Often considered a complicated topic for beginners, the book makes grasping the fundamentals of polymer rheology easy by presenting information in an approachable way and limiting the use of complex mathematics. By doing so, this introductory overview provides readers with easy access to the key concepts underlying the flow behavior of polymer melts, solutions, and suspensions. Incorporating sample problems that are worked through and explained on the page, as well as numerous practice problems to gauge learning comprehension, the book prepares new students and practitioners for moving on to more advanced concepts.Comprising twelve chapters, the book covers stress, velocity and rate of deformation, the relationship between stress and rate of deformation (Newtonian fluid), generalized Newtonian fluids, normal stresses and elastic behavior, experimental methods, small and large strain, the molecular origins of rheological behavior, elementary polymer processing concepts, quality control in rheology, and the flow of modified polymers and those with supermolecular structure.The essential reference for accurately interpreting polymer rheology data, Introduction to Polymer Rheology provides readers with an elementary understanding of the key issues and modern approaches to resolving problems in the field.An Instructor's Guide with answers to select problems in the text, 60 new problems with full solutions, hints for effective presentation of the material in the text, and an errata listing is available for professors using the book as a course textbook.

1. INTRODUCTIONA. Polymers and the importance of rheologyB. Rheology in its simplest formProblemsSuggested references, with commentary2. STRESSA. Stress and pressureB. Organization of the stress componentsC. Coping with subscriptsD. Typical stress tensorsAppendix 2-1: Compilation of equations of motion (ssc)Appendix 2-2: Equations of motion--curvilinear quick list (ssc)ProblemsReferences3. VELOCITY, VELOCITY GRADIENT AND RATE OF DEFORMATIONA. Why velocity is simpler than location--Speedometers vs. GPSB. Velocity gradientsC. Rate of deformationAppendix 3-1: Components of the rate-of-deformation tensorAppendix 3-2: Components of the continuity equationAppendix 3-3: Nomenclature and sign conventions used in popular rheology textsProblemsReferences4. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND RATE OF DEFORMATION: THE NEWTONIAN FLUIDA Material idealizations in rheologyB. The Newtonian fluidProblemsReferences5. GENERALIZED NEWTONIAN FLUIDS -- A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD A DESCRIPTION OF REAL BEHAVIOR FOR POLYMERSA. Reasons for inventing generalized Newtonian fluids -- behavior of polymer meltsB. Generalizing the GNF to three dimensionsC. Inventing relationships for viscosity vs. shear rateD. Short primer on finding GNF parameters from dataE. Summary of GNF characteristicsAppendix 5-1: Fitting data with ExcelProblemsReferences6. NORMAL STRESSES--ORDINARY BEHAVIOR FOR POLYMERSA. IntroductionB. What are normal stressesC. Origin of normal stresses in simple shearD. The second normal-stress differenceE. Normal-stress coefficients and empirical findingsF. Transient rheological functionsD. Temperature effects and superposition of steady-flow dataProblemsReferences7. EXPERIMENTAL METHODSA. Measurement of viscosityB. Normal stresses from shearing flowsC. Extensional rheologyD. Specialized geometriesE. Flow visualization and other rheo-optical methodsF. Micro and nano rheologyAppendix 7-1: Numerical derivativesAppendix 7-2: Velocity-profile correction for non-Newtonian fluidsAppendix 7-3: Incorporation of slip into the velocity-profile correction-- the Mooney correctionAppendix 7-4: Normal stresses using the cone-and-plate geometryAppendix 7-5: Desktop rheo-optical experimentProblemsReferences8. STRAIN, SMALL AND LARGEA. DisplacementB. Infinitesimal strainC. Hookean solidsD. Finite strainE. The Lodge elastic fluid and variantsF. The Cauchy strain measureG. Fixing up integral equations based on C and C-1Appendix 8-1: The relaxation functionAppendix 8-2: Constant-rate extension of the LEFProblemsReferences9. MOLECULAR ORIGINS OF RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIORA. Description of polymer moleculesB. The Rouse chain--a limited description of polymer behaviorC. Other chain-like modelsD. Dealing with entanglementsE. Summary of predictions of molecular theoryProblemsReferences10. ELEMENTARY POLYMER PROCESSING CONCEPTSA. Simple laboratory processing methodsB. Elementary extrusion conceptsC. A downstream process--spinningD. SummaryAppendix 10-1: Densities of melts at elevated temperaturesProblemsReferences11. QUALITY-CONTROL RHEOLOGYA. Examples of methods used by various industriesB. Test precisionAppendix 11-1: ASTM tests methods for rheological characterizationProblemsReferences12. FLOW OF MODIFIED POLYMERS AND POLYMERS WITH SUPERMOLECULAR STRUCTUREA. Polymers filled with particulatesB. Liquid crystallinity and rheologyC. Polymers with microphase separation in melts or solutionsD. Covalent crosslinking of polymersAppendix 12-1: Van 't Hoff equation applied to gelationProblemsReferencesANSWERS TO SELECTED PROBLEMS