Wave propagation, viscoelastic polymers

It was these studies of the complex dielectric constant as a function of frequency which led to the search for euialogous methods of studying viscoelasticity hy measuring a complex viscosity or elastic modulus. The first success was observation of shear wave propagation in polymer solutions . The only theoretical treatment of wave propagation which could he found as a clue to analysis of the measurements was in a geophysical journal. From the wave propagation the complex shear modulus and its frequency dependence could be derived. 

Shear Wave Propagation. A pulse shearometer (Rank Bros.) was used to measure the propagation velocity of a shear wave through the weak gels formed by the solutions of HMHEC in dilute NaCl. The polymer concentration range studied was 0.5-2.0%. With this apparatus, the frequency of the shear wave is approximately 1200 rad s" and the strain is <10 . At this strain, n pst systems behave in a linear viscoelastic fashion, and the wave-rigidity modulus, G is... 

The attenuation and velocity of acoustic energy in polymers are very different from those in other materials due to their unique viscoelastic properties. The use of ultrasonic techniques, such as acoustic spectroscopy, for the characterization of polymers has been demonstrated [47,48]. For AW devices, the propagation of an acoustic wave in a substrate causes an oscillating displacement of particles on the substrate surface. For a medium in intimate contact with the substrate, the horizontal component of this motion produces a shearing force. In such cases, there can be sufficient interaction between the acoustic wave and the adjacent medium to perturb the properties of the wave. For polymeric materials, attenuation and velocity of the acoustic wave will be affected by changes in the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer. 

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