Numerical simulation of large amplitude oscillatory shear of a high-density polyethylene melt using the MSF model

We study the flow response in large amplitude oscillatory shear of the molecular stress function (MSF) model that has recently been proposed by Wagner et al. [M.H. Wagner, P. Rubio, H. Bastian, The molecular stress function model for polydisperse polymer melts with dissipative convective constraint release, J. Rheol. 45 (2001) 1387–1412]. The MSF model is derived from molecular theory and has only two parameters to describe the non-linear material response. The model predictions are analysed in both the frequency and time domain. It shows good agreement with experimental data for a linear high-density polyethylene melt. At low and medium strains, MSF model predictions are in excellent agreement with experimental data and predictions of a six-mode Giesekus model which has six parameters to describe the non-linear material response. At medium strains, the basic Doi–Edwards model, which has no non-linear parameters, already underpredicts the data. At high strains, the MSF model predictions agree slightly better with the experimental data than the Giesekus model. Surprisingly, however, it is the Doi–Edwards model that shows excellent agreement with experimental data at high strains. For the linear melt we consider, it outperforms the models that have non-linear parameters, both in the time and frequency domain.