Biaxial extensional viscosity, measurement

Extensional viscosity that results purely from shear deformation seems to be of less interest, but has been measured (108). The theology of several different polymer melts in terms of shear viscosity and uniaxial and biaxial extensional viscosity has been compared (231). Additional information on the measurement of extensional viscosity are also available (105,238—240). 

Huang, H., and Kokini, J. L. (1993). Measurement of biaxial extensional viscosity of wheat flour doughs. J. Rheol. 37, 879-891. 

Unlike shear viscosity, extensional viscosity has no meaning unless the type of deformation is specified. The three types of extensional viscosity identified and measured are uniaxial or simple, biaxial, and pure shear. Uniaxial viscosity is the only one used to characterize fluids. It has been employed mainly in the study of polymer melts, but also for other fluids. For a Newtonian fluid, the uniaxial extensional viscosity is three times the shear viscosity ... 

Extensional Viscosity. AH three types of extensional viscosity can be measured (101,103) uniaxial, biaxial, and pure shear. Only a few commercial instmments are available, however, and most measurements are made with improvised equipment. Extensional viscosity of polymer melts can be estimated from converging flow (entrance pressure) or from a melt strength drawdown test (208). 

A method for measuring the uniaxial extensional viscosity of polymer soHds and melts uses a tensile tester in a Hquid oil bath to remove effects of gravity and provide temperature control cylindrical rods are used as specimens (218,219). The rod extmder may be part of the apparatus and may be combined with a device for clamping the extmded material (220). However, most of the mote recent versions use prepared rods, which are placed in the apparatus and heated to soften or melt the polymer (103,111,221—223). A constant stress or a constant strain rate is appHed, and the resultant extensional strain rate or stress, respectively, is measured. Similar techniques are used to study biaxial extension (101). 

If we want to find out how a fluid behaves under extension, we have to somehow grip and stretch it. Experimentally, this is much more difficult than the shear arrangement, especially if the fluid has a low viscosity. Earlier (see Section 5) we saw that it is possible to classify steady extensional flows under the categories of uniaxial, biaxial and planar flows. We will now examine uniaxial testing, since this mode is more commonly employed as a routine characterization tool. Here we encounter two approaches the first seeks to impart a uniform extensional field and back out a true material function, while the second employs a mixed flow field that is rich in its extensional component (e.g. converging flows) and use it to back out a measured property of the fluid which is somehow related to its extensional viscosity. 

Unlike shear viscosity, extensional viscosity has no meaning unless the type of deformation is specified. The three types of extensional viscosity identified aind measured are uniaxial or simple, biaxial, and pure shear. Uniaxial viscosity is the only one used to characterize fluids. It has been employed mainly in the study of polymer melts, but also for other fluids. For a Newtonian fluid, the uniaxial extensional viscosity is three times the shear viscosity ( fe)uni = 3/ . This is confirmed at very low shear rates in Figure 13, which provides a typical example of the extensional viscosity behavior of a polymer (129). The two other extensional viscosities are used to study elastomers in the form of films or sheets. Uniaxial and biaxial extensions are important in industry (118,125-128,130,132), the former for the spinning of textile fibers and roller spattering of paints, and the latter for blow molding, vacuum forming, film blowing, and foam processes. 

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