PolySTRAND Model of Flow-Induced Nucleation in Polymers

Read, Daniel J.; McIlroy, Claire; Das, Chinmay; Harlen, Oliver G.; Graham, Richard S.

Abstract

We develop a thermodynamic continuum-level model, polySTRAND, for flow-induced nucleation in polymers suitable for use in computational process modeling. The model's molecular origins ensure that it accounts properly for flow and nucleation dynamics of polydisperse systems and can be extended to include effects of exhaustion of highly deformed chains and nucleus roughness. It captures variations with the key processing parameters, flow rate, temperature, and molecular weight distribution. Under strong flow, long chains are over-represented within the nucleus, leading to superexponential nucleation rate growth with shear rate as seen in experiments.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 11, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Apr 10, 2020
• Publication Date: Apr 10, 2020
• Deposit Date: Mar 16, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 10, 2020
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 124
• Issue: 14
• Article Number: 147802
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.124.147802
• Keywords: General Physics and Astronomy
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4154606
• Publisher URL: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.147802