Nonlinear Polymer Rheology: Macroscopic Phenomenology and Molecular Foundation

A polymer is a long chain molecule composed of repeating units of varied chemical composition. Elasticity in the solid state and viscosity in liquid or melt states are changeable, not constant. Thus, the properties are too complicated to deal with by traditional simple mechanics or hydrodynamics methods. Rheology is the study of matter under deformation in terms of both mechanical responses and deformation fields.

Integrating latest research results and characterization techniques, this book helps readers understand and apply basic principles of nonlinear polymer rheology. The book connects the basic theoretical framework with practical polymer processing, which aids practicing scientists and engineers to go beyond the existing knowledge and explore applications.

This book focuses on all aspects of nonlinear polymer rheology and, most importantly, describes why yielding always takes place when entangled polymeric liquids are subjected to a variety of different forms of deformation. The author offers new insights that should be very useful for advanced students and research professionals. In this book, he shows that shear homogeneity the basic foundation for experimental rheometry requires modification.  The author has also presented an alternative world–view concerning the theoretical framework for nonlinear rheological behavior of polymeric liquids.  Although polymer rheology is a subject of extensive past research, this book uniquely exposes elementary ideas like the transformation from elastic response to irreversible deformation (flow) and provides a comprehensive and new treatment of the subject.

Shi–Qing Wang, PhD, is a Professor of Polymer Science at the University of Akron. He has been teaching at the university level for 27 years and has over 100 peer reviewed publications. Dr. Wang is a reviewer for many journals, is a Fellow of both the American Physics Society (APS) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).