Exponential shear flow of branched polymer melts

  The behavior of a low-density polyethylene melt in exponential shear strain histories is examined and compared to its behavior in constant rate planar elongation. A new set of shear stress and first normal stress difference data in exponential shear are presented and used in several different material functions that have been previously proposed. Viscosities composed of principal stress differences for the two flows showed no correspondence suggesting that, contrary to previous assertions, exponential shear and constant rate planar elongation flows are fundamentally different. It is further suggested that the presence of vorticity makes exponential shear a weak, rather than strong, flow. Received: 5 March 1999/Accepted: 1 September 1999