Polymer rheology dynamic rheometers

The cone-and-plate and parallel-plate rheometers are rotational devices used to characterize the viscosity of molten polymers. The type of information obtained from these two types of rheometers is very similar. Both types of rheometers can be used to evaluate the shear rate-viscosity behavior at relatively low vales of shear rate therefore, allowing the experimental determination of the first region of the curve shown in Figure 22.6 and thus the determination of the zero-shear-rate viscosity. The rheological behavior observed in this region of the shear rate-viscosity curve cannot be described by the power-law model. On the other hand, besides describing the polymer viscosity at low shear rates, the cone-and-plate and parallel-plate rheometers are also useful as dynamic rheometers and they can yield more information about the stmcture/flow behavior of liquid polymeric materials, especially molten polymers. 

Experimentally, the dynamic shear moduli are usually measured by applying sinusoidal oscillatory shear in constant stress or constant strain rheometers. This can be in parallel plate, cone-and-plate or concentric cylinder (Couette) geometries. An excellent monograph on rheology, including its application to polymers, is provided by Macosko (1994). 

The steady and dynamic drag-induced simple shear-flow rheometers, which are limited to very small shear rates for the steady flow and to very small strains for the dynamic flow, enable us to evaluate rheological properties that can be related to the macromolecular structure of polymer melts. The reason is that very small sinusoidal strains and very low shear rates do not take macromolecular polymer melt conformations far away from their equilibrium condition. Thus, whatever is measured is the result of the response of not just a portion of the macromolecule, but the contribution of the entire macromolecule. 

The complex viscosity as a function of frequency, maximum strain and temperature is generally determined with one rheometer. Standard ASTM 4440-84/90 defines the measurement of rheological parameters of polymer samples using dynamic oscillation. This standard reiterates the importance of determining the linear viscoelastic region prior to performing dynamic frequency sweeps. 

To increase the viscosity of polymer blends, additives [such as traditional fire retardants (mainly oxides) and, more recently, nanoclays] are added to polymer blend systems. The present authors recently conducted dynamic rheological measurements for the EVA/LDPE nanocomposite, as reported in [27]. Figure 8.3 (a) and (b) compare the complex viscosity of the EVA/LDPE blend with and without nanoclay as a function of frequency and temperature, respectively. Measurements were carried out on 1 mm-thick samples using a Rheometrics RDA n Dynamic Analyzer rheometer. The frequency-sweep tests were conducted from 0.1 to 100 rad/s with constant temperature (140 °C) and strain amplitude (1%). Eor the temperature-sweep measurements, samples were heated from 300 to 530 °C (15 °C/min) under nitrogen with constant frequency (10 rad/s) and strain amplitude (10%). In both experiments, there is a significant increase of viscosity above that for the neat... 

During rheometer and dynamic mechanical analyses instruments impose a deformation on a material and measure the material s response that gives a wealth of very important information about structure and performance of the basic polymer. As an example stress rheometers are used for testing melts in various temperature ranges. Strain controlled rheology is the ultimate in materials characterization with the ability to handle anything from light fluids to solid bars, films, and fibers. 

Whorlow (1992) published a book on rheological techniques that inctudes dynamic tests and wave propagation tests. In the appendix, he listed a number of rheologicat inves-tigahon equipment manufacturers. Some of the techniques appiy more to polymers and are not relevant to our discussion. Dynamic vibration tests have been extended to fresh concrete (Teixera et at., 1998). Concord and Tassin (1998) described a method to use rheo-ophcs for the study of thixotropy in synthetic clay suspensions. A rheometer optical analyzer was used on laponite, a synthetic hectorite clay. Laponite was mixed with water and tests were conducted at various intervals for up to 100 days. Rheo-ophcs seems to be... 

Sheriff M, Warburton B. 1974. Measurement of dynamic rheological properties using the principle of externally shifted and restored resonance. Polymer 15 253-254. Sheriff M, Warburton B. 1975. The theory of a universal oscillatory rheometer for the study of linear viscoelastic materials using the principle of normalized resonance. In Theoretical Rheology. London Applied Science Publishers, pp 299-316. Shinoda K, Yoneyama T, Tsutsumi H. 1980. Evaluation of emulsifier blending./Disper Sci Technol 1(1) 1-12. 

The rheological behavior of the copolymers was measured with a DynAlyser 100 stress-control rheometer (EUieoLogica) equi] d with a cone and plate at 25 C. The radius of the cone is 40 mm, and the angle between the cone and plate is 4.0°. Steady shear and oscillatory flow measurements were conducted to obtain the steady shear viscosity and dynamic viscoelastic properties of polymer solutions. 

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