An alternative description of the visko-elastic flow behavior of highly elastic polymer melts

  • Kroll, Jochen (Universität Dortmund)

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In contrast to thermoplastic polymer melts, high molecular polymer melts, e.g. rubbers polymers, have relaxation spectra showing very high relaxation times, which leads to high elasticity. With the help of the existing tools, a satisfactory simulation of those elastic phenomenas seems not possible, since exclusively shear rate-dependent structural viscosities are implemented. The presented simulation approach overcomes this problem by combining an alternative, efficient description of the linear relaxation behavior (by so-called viscous-fractional relaxation elements) with the non-linear expansion of the Boltzmann memory integral. The description of the linear relaxation spectra of polymer melts or solutions is usually provided by generalized Maxwell models. Achieving a sufficient approximation quality of dynamical data requires, especially in the case of commercial - and thus broadly molar mass distributed polymers - the introduction of a large number of parameters with limited physical meaning. The alternative modeling approach uses a suitable sum of semi-fractional Maxwell relaxation elements. In this way it is not only characterized by a significantly reduced number of parameters but also by its direct link to the dynamical characterization of the material. In this way, an immediate connection between molecular information and simulated flow behavior can be established.