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Nematic effects and strain coupling in entangled polymer melts under strong flow

Jacob J. K. Kirkensgaard, Ludovica Hengeller, Andriy Dorokhin, Qian Huang, Christopher J. Garvey, Kristoffer Almdal, Ole Hassager, and Kell Mortensen
Phys. Rev. E 94, 020502(R) – Published 24 August 2016

Abstract

We use small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to study labeled short chains with and without the influence of an entangled and highly stretched surrounding environment of longer chains. We find unequivocal evidence of nematic effects as the blend chains in steady state flow are stretched a factor 1.5 more from the presence of the long chain nematic field. In the pure melt we confirm that the nonaffine mean-field result ν=0.5 for the strain coupling is still valid for very fast flows, while in the nematic system our analysis predicts an increased coupling constant. We provide a structural explanation for the two first regimes of the nonlinear relaxation, particularly a transition regime where the long chains are relaxing in a sea of reptating short chains.

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  • Received 20 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.94.020502

©2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Polymers & Soft Matter

Authors & Affiliations

Jacob J. K. Kirkensgaard1,*, Ludovica Hengeller2, Andriy Dorokhin3, Qian Huang2, Christopher J. Garvey4, Kristoffer Almdal3, Ole Hassager2, and Kell Mortensen1

  • 1Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 2Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
  • 3Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
  • 4Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia

  • *jjkk@nbi.dk

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Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 2 — August 2016

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