Recent advances in polymer science have made it possible to relate quantitatively molecular structure to rheological behavior. At the same time, new methods of synthesis and characterization allow the preparation and structural verification of samples having a range of branched polymeric structures. This book unites this knowledge to enable production of polymers with prescribed processability and end-product properties. Methods of polymer synthesis and characterization are described, starting from fundamentals. The foundations of linear viscoelasticity are introduced, and then the linear behavior of entangled polymers is described in detail. This is followed by a discussion of the molecular modeling of linear behavior. Tube models for both linear and branched polymers are presented. The final two chapters deal with nonlinear rheological behavior and tube models to describe nonlinearity. In this second edition, each chapter has been significantly rewritten to account for recent advances in experimental methods and theoretical modeling. It includes new and updated material on developments in polymer synthesis and characterization, computational algorithms for linear and nonlinear rheology prediction, measurement of nonlinear viscoelasticity, entanglement detection algorithms in molecular dynamics, nonlinear constitutive equations, and instabilities. Contents: - Structure of Polymers - Polymerization Reactions and Processes - Linear Viscoelasticity - Fundamentals - Linear Viscoelasticity - Behavior of Molten Polymers - Tube Models for Linear Polymers - Fundamentals - Tube Models for Linear Polymers - Advanced Topics - Determination of Molecular Weight Distribution Using Rheology - Tube Models for Branched Polymers - Nonlinear Viscoelasticity - Tube Models for Nonlinear Viscoelasticity of Linear and Branched Polymers

In recent years, several developments have made it possible to predict the detailed molecular structure of a polymer based on polymerization conditions and to use this knowledge of the structure to predict rheological properties. In addition, new techniques for using rheological data to infer molecular structure have also been developed. Soon, it will be possible to use this new knowledge to design a molecular structure having prescribed processability and end-product properties, to specify the catalyst and reaction conditions necessary to produce a polymer having this structure, and to use rheology to verify that the structure desired has, in fact, been produced. This book provides a detailed summary of state-of-art methods for measuring rheological properties and relating them to molecular structure.

This is the second edition of Melt Rheology and its Role in Plastics Processing, although the title has changed to reflect its broadened scope. Advances in the recent years in rheometer technology and polymer science have greatly enhanced the usefulness of rheology in the plastics industry. It is now possible to design polymers having specific molecular structures and to predict the flow properties of melts having those structures. In addition, rheological properties now provide more precise information about molecular structure. This book provides all the information that is needed for the intelligent application of rheology in the development of new polymers, the determination of molecular structure and the correlation of processability with laboratory test data. Theory and equations are limited to what is essential for the use of rheology in the characterization of polymers, the development of new plastics materials and the prediction of plastics processing behavior. The emphasis is on information that will be of direct use to practitioners. Extensive references are provided for those wishing to pursue certain issues in greater depth. While the primary audience is applied polymer scientists and plastics engineers, the book will also be of use to postgraduate students in polymer science and engineering and as a text for a graduate course.

The Structure and Rheology of Complex Fluids describes the microstructures of polymeric, colloidal, amphiphilic, and liquid crystalline liquids, and the relationship between microstructure and mechanical and flow properties. It provides illustrations, practical examples, and worked problems. This book can serve as both a textbook for a graduate course and a research monograph.

This book explores the ways in which melt flow behaviour can be exploited by the plastics engineer and technician for increased efficiency of processing operation, control of end product properties and selection and development of polymers for specific purposes. (reissued with minor corrections 1994)

Volume 1 presents first fundamental principles of the rheology of polymeric fluid including kinematics and stresses of a deformable body, the continuum theory for the viscoelasticity of flexible homogeneous polymeric liquids, the molecular theory for the viscoelasticity of flexible homogeneous polymeric liquids, and the experimental methods for the measurement of the rheological properties of poylmeric liquids. The materials presented are intended to set a stage for the subsequent chapters by introducing the basic concepts and principles of rheology, from both phenomenological and molecular perspectives, ofstructurally simple flexible and homogeneous polymeric liquids. Next, this volume presents the rheological behavior of structurally complex polymeric materials including miscible polymer blends, block copolymers, liquid-crystalline polymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, immiscible polymer blends, perticulare-filled polymers, organoclay nanocomposites, molten polymers with dissolved gas, and thermosts.