A rheological theory for liquid crystal thin films

A macroscopic rheological theory for compressible isothermal nematic liquid crystal films is developed and used to characterize the interfacial elastic, viscous, and viscoelastic material properties. The derived expression for the film stress tensor includes elastic and viscous components. The asymmetric film viscous stress tensor takes into account the nematic ordering and is given in terms of the film rate of deformation and the surface Jaumann derivative. The material function that describes the anisotropic viscoelasticity is the dynamic film tension, which includes the film tension and dilational viscosities. Viscous dissipation due to film compressibility is described by the anisotropic dilational viscosity. Three characteristic film shear viscosities are defined according to whether the nematic orientation is along the velocity direction, the velocity gradient, or the unit normal. In addition the dependence of the rheological functions on curvature and film thickness has been identified. The rheological theory provides a theoretical framework to future studies of thin liquid crystal film stability and hydrodynamics, and liquid crystal foam rheology. Received: 9 October 2000 Accepted: 6 April 2001     

On the basic laws of anisotropic viscoelasticity

The main aim of this work is to develop a consistent formulation of the rheological behavior for different anisotropic polymer systems. The unified theory of anisotropic viscoelasticity is developed based on the symmetry principles. The Maxwell rheological equation is extended to nonsymmetric anisotropic liquids. Transitions from the most general anisotropy to particular cases of anisotropy are established. It appears that the coupled relaxation of symmetric and antisymmetric stresses is a natural phenomenon in nonsymmetric viscoelasticity. Within the concept of an internal state variable, a stress–order relation is derived for a fully nonlinear case. The order tensor dynamics is also considered. A simple method of deriving the equation of the internal rotational motion is developed for the general macroscopic anisotropy. This paper was presented at the 3rd Annual Rheology Conference, AERC 2006, April 27–29, 2006, Crete, Greece     

Extensional and shear rheometry of oriented triblock copolymers

 The effects of extensional flow orientation on the rheological properties of two poly(styrene)-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-poly (styrene) (PS-PEB-PS) triblock copolymers containing either spherical or cylindrical PS microdomains were studied by oscillatory shear and oscillatory extensional experiments. Extensional measurements revealed that below the PS block glass transition temperature pre-oriented triblocks display highly anisotropic mechanical properties. For both polymers, the storage modulus E ′ is higher along the flow direction. Above the PS glass transition temperature the materials are no longer anisotropic and the same storage moduli are obtained along the flow direction and perpendicular to it. Above the PS glass transition temperature the rheological behaviour parallel and perpendicular to the flow direction was also probed in pre-oriented and non-oriented samples by oscillatory shear rheometry. At high frequencies, the mechanical response of the triblocks was found to be independent of the orientation for both copolymers while at low frequencies a strong effect of the flow orientation could be observed. For both polymers the value of the storage modulus was found to be lower along the flow direction that perpendicular to it. This was explained by the ability of PS blocks to relax more easily along the flow direction. Received: 10 September 1999/Accepted: 1 October 1999     

A closure approximation for nematic liquid crystals based on the canonical distribution subspace theory

 A closure approximation for nematic polymers is presented. It approximates the fourth rank order tensor in terms of lower rank tensors, and is derived in the framework of the canonical distribution subspace theory. This approach requires a choice of the class of distributions: Here the set of Bingham distributions is chosen, as already introduced by Chaubal and Leal (1998). The closure is written in a generic frame of reference, and in an explicit form, so that it can be easily implemented. Such formulation also permits studying the closure approximation with continuation tools, which rather completely describe the system dynamics. The predictions can then be compared with those obtained with the exact model. The shear flow is considered as a test, since this flow condition appears to be the most demanding for closure approximations for nematic polymers. Received: 30 November 1999/Accepted: 30 November 1999     

固态高聚物的屈服和塑性变形行为

固态高聚物屈服和塑性变形的固体力学研究主要包括两个方面:①研究这类材料产生屈服和塑性变形的条件及其具体的行为特征;②从整体上分析其应力应变行为,力求建立起相应的本构关系方程。本文将对这一领域的研究发展状况作一述评,并简要介绍我们最近取得的一些成果。内容包括屈服变形的现象与特征,屈服准则,取向材料的变形行为,热激活塑性变形理论,材料的本构方程,以及我们提出的粘弹塑性理论模型与本构方程。      

Molecular theories of nonlinear viscoelasticity of polymers

It is emphasized that considerable advances have been made recently in the development of the molecular theories of nonlinear viscoelasticity of concentrated solutions and melts of linear polymers. The new ideas in this exceptionally important field of the rheology of polymers are analysed. The methods by which the constraints (entanglements) imposed on the motion of macromolecules by the polymer environment are taken into account are also considered in the paper. The most detailed discussion is devoted to the model of topological constraints in the form of a tube and to the self-consistent theory of anisotropic micro-viscoelasticity which takes into account the relaxation nature of the interaction of macromolecules with their surrounding medium as well as the anisotropy of their mobility.Invited paper, presented at the XII-th All-Union Symposium on Rheology held in Riga (USSR), December 7–9, 1982.     

Stress of an anisotropic plate with angular inclusions

The plane problem of anisotropic elastic bodies with angular inclusions has been reduced to a Fredholm system of integral equations. The principal terms in the potentials have been determined in explicit form, taking account of power-law singularities at the corner points. Applications of the results have been considered. Lutsk Industrial Institute, Ukraine. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 76–84, February, 1999.     

Influence of drag-reducing polymers on turbulence: effects of Reynolds number, concentration and mixing

 Measurements of turbulence properties of solutions of polymers have been made over a large range of drag-reduction, in a fully-developed channel flow. At flows close to maximum drag-reduction the Reynolds stresses were approximately zero over the whole cross section of the channel. Added mean polymer stresses were observed in the viscous wall region for small drag-reduction and over the whole cross-section for large drag-reduction. Even though the Reynolds stresses are zero, the velocity profile is not parabolic because of the presence of these mean stresses. We interpret the results by arguing that the interaction of turbulence with the polymers introduces mean and fluctuating polymer stresses which can create turbulence. The observation that the turbulence modification depends on the manner by which the polymers are introduced into the flow supports the notion that the polymers need to form aggregates in order to be effective. Received: 29 September 1998 / Accepted: 10 February 1999     

Quantitative predictions of linear viscoelastic rheological properties of entangled polymers

The “dual constraint” model developed by Mead, Van Dyke et al. is here extended by inclusion of “early-time” contour-length fluctuations and constraint-release Rouse relaxation, and then evaluated by comparing its predictions with literature data for over 50 different linear and star polymers. By combining the reptation model of Doi and Edwards with contour-length fluctuations and constraint release, the model provides a systematic approach to prediction of the rheological properties of polymers. The parameters are taken from the literature and used consistently for linear polymers, star polymers, and their mixtures having the same chemical compositions. In most cases, the predictions of the model appears to agree well with data for monodisperse, bidisperse, and polydisperse linear and star polymers, except at low molecular weights. Received: 23 December 1999 Accepted: 28 March 2000     

Effects of initial anisotropy on the finite strain deformation behavior of glassy polymers

Solid phase deformation processing of glassy polymers produces highly anisotropic polymer components as a result of the massive reorientation of molecular chains during the large strain forming operation. Indeed, the polymer preform used as the starting materials is usually anisotropic owing to its prior deformation history. The process end product has often been fashioned for a particular application, i.e. to possess an increased flow strength along a particular axis, thereby exploiting the orientation induced anisotropy effects. The fully three-dimensional issues involved in the use of glassy polymer components include anisotropic flow strenghts, limiting extensibilities, and deformation patterns. These characteristics have been altered by the initial forming operation but are obviously not expected to be enhanced in all directions. The presence of anisotropy in structural components may also lead to premature failure or unexpected shear localization. In this report the effects of initial deformation and the associated anisotropies are investigated through uniaxial compression tests on preoriented polycarbonate (PC) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) specimens. The evolving anisotropy is monitored by testing materials preoriented by various amounts of strain and under different states of deformation. The tensorial nature of the anisotropic material is characterized by examining the preoriented material response in three orthogonal directions. A model for the large strain deformation response of glassy polymers has been shown by Arruda and Boyce [in press] to be well predictive of the evolution of anisotropy during deformation in initially isotropic materials. Here the authors evaluate the ability of the model developed in Arruda and Boyce [in press] to predict several aspects of the anisotropic response of preoriented materials. Using material properties determined from the characterization of the isotropic material response and a knowledge of the anisotropic state of the preoriented material, model simulations are shown to accurately capture all aspects of the large strain anisotropic response including flow strengths, strain hardening characteristics, cross-sectional deformation patterns, and limiting extensibilities. Although anisotropy has been shown to evolve with temperature and strain rate in Boyce, Arruda and Jayachandran [in press] and also state of deformation in Arruda and Boyce [in press], we submit an experimental observation that the subsequent deformation response of preoriented polymers may be predicted using only a measure of optical anisotropy, and not the prior strain or thermal history. Optical anisotropy, as measured for example by birefringence, therefore represents a true internal variable indicative of the evolution of anisotropy with inelastic strain, state of strain, and temperature.     

Irreversible thermodynamics of liquid crystal interfaces

A macroscopic theory for the dynamics of isothermal compressible interfaces between nematic liquid crystalline polymers and isotropic viscous fluids has been formulated using classical irreversible thermodynamics. The theory is based on the derivation of the interfacial rate of entropy production for ordered interfaces, that takes into account interfacial anisotropic viscous dissipation as well as interfacial anisotropic elastic storage. The symmetry breaking of the interface provides a natural decomposition of the forces and fluxes appearing in the entropy production, and singles out the symmetry properties and tensorial dimensionality of the forces and fluxes. Constitutive equations for the surface extra stress tensor and for surface molecular field are derived, and their use in interfacial balance equations for ordered interfaces is identified. It is found that the surface extra stress tensor is asymmetric, since the anisotropic viscoelasticity of the nematic phase is imprinted onto the surface. Consistency of the proposed surface extra stress tensor with the classical Boussinesq constitutive equation appropriate to Newtonian interfaces is demonstrated. The anisotropic viscoelastic nature of the interface between nematic polymers (NPs) and isotropic viscous fluids is demonstrated by deriving and characterizing the dynamic interfacial tension. The theory provides for the necessary theoretical tools needed to describe the interfacial dynamics of NP interfaces, such as capillary instabilities, Marangoni flows, wetting and spreading phenomena.     

Parametric identification of crystals having a cubic lattice with negative Poisson’s ratios

A two-dimensional model of an anisotropic crystalline material with cubic symmetry is considered. This model consists of a square lattice of round rigid particles, each possessing two translational and one rotational degree of freedom. Differential equations that describe propagation of elastic and rotational waves in such a medium are derived. A relationship between three groups of parameters is found: second-order elastic constants, acoustic wave velocities, and microstructure parameters. Values of the microstructure parameters of the considered anisotropic material at which its Poisson’s ratios become negative are found.     

Determination of the molecular weight distribution of linear polymers by inversion of a blending law on complex viscosities

The method presented in this paper allows to calculate the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of linear homopolymer melts from the complex shear modulus data measured in a wide frequency domain. An empirical blending law on complex viscosities is first developed; as a consequence, the variations of the storage and loss modulus as a function of MWD are presented. This simulation demonstrates also the role of the shape of the MWD itself, and shows that one should not postulate a priori the shape of the MWD. An efficient numerical approach based on a Tikhonov regularization method with constraint is used to solve this ill-posed problem; the MWD is hence derived without any assumption on its shape. This method is first applied on simulated data to prove its numerical efficiency. Then the inversion method is applied on complex moduli data of various commercial polymers (polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene) and on an artificial mixture of polystyrene that have been presented in the literature. For amorphous polymers, the coupling of the terminal relaxation domains with the transition region at higher frequency leads to errors in the low molecular weight tail: one way to solve this problem is to cut off the experimental data at the high frequencies. This general method needs only a few physical parameters, namely the scaling law for the Newtonian viscosity η₀=f(M _w ) and the plateau modulus G _N ⁰, and leads to reasonable results with respect to the simplicity of the viscoelastic model used. Received: 27 October 1997 Accepted: 24 February 1998     

Interaction of shock-wave fronts with interface of transversely isotropic elastic media

A problem of diffraction of an incident-wave front interacting with an interface is considered within the framework of shock-wave theory for anisotropic elastic media. An approach to geometrical construction of reflected- and refracted-wave fronts using methods of continuation by a parameter is proposed for solution of Snellius generalized nonlinear equations. A numerical example is presented. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 30–36, April, 1999.     

Stress state of rotating inhomogeneous anisotropic cylinders

The stress-strain state of anisotropic cylinders under the action of centrifugal loads is considered, adopting a new approach, in the case where the elastic properties of the cylinders vary arbitrarily over the thickness. The system of resolving differential equations, in which the load is expressed as a function of the radius change, is solved. The changes of the radius of the boundary surfaces and the interlayer contact surfaces are taken into account by successive approximation. The problem is solved numerically. Specific examples of the solution are presented. S. P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 35, No. 8, pp. 29–34, August, 1999.     

An unsymmetric constitutive equation for anisotropic viscoelastic fluid

A continuum constitutive theory of corotational derivative type is developed for the anisotropic viscoelastic fluid–liquid crystalline (LC) polymers. A concept of anisotropic viscoelastic simple fluid is introduced. The stress tensor instead of the velocity gradient tensor D in the classic Leslie–Ericksen theory is described by the first Rivlin–Ericksen tensor A and a spin tensor W measured with respect to a co-rotational coordinate system. A model LCP-H on this theory is proposed and the characteristic unsymmetric behaviour of the shear stress is predicted for LC polymer liquids. Two shear stresses thereby in shear flow of LC polymer liquids lead to internal vortex flow and rotational flow. The conclusion could be of theoretical meaning for the modern liquid crystalline display technology. By using the equation, extrusion–extensional flows of the fluid are studied for fiber spinning of LC polymer melts, the elongational viscosity vs. extension rate with variation of shear rate is given in figures. A considerable increase of elongational viscosity and bifurcation behaviour are observed when the orientational motion of the director vector is considered. The contraction of extrudate of LC polymer melts is caused by the high elongational viscosity. For anisotropic viscoelastic fluids, an important advance has been made in the investigation on the constitutive equation on the basis of which a series of new anisotropic non-Newtonian fluid problems can be addressed. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10372100, 19832050) (Key project). The English text was polished by Yunming Chen.     

Structural rearrangements in hairy-rod polymer solutions undergoing shear

 We report on a rheooptical investigation of hairy-rod poly(p-phenylene) solutions at different concentrations and temperatures. These polymers have a reasonably high persistence length (about 28 nm) and behave as worm-like chains in dilute solutions, whereas they form nearly spherical fractal aggregates with internal anisotropy at higher concentrations. By exposing these systems to time-dependent simple shear and following the evolution of birefringence in start-up and its subsequent relaxation upon the cessation of shear, we find a substantial broadening of the cluster size distribution, resulting from flow-induced cluster deformation and break-up. In contrast to the very dilute solutions, where polymers align in the flow direction, the deformed clusters main axes are aligned in the vorticity direction, presumably due to their strong steric local pretransitional type of ordering, with the constituent polymers following the velocity vector. At the highest concentration, which corresponds to a weak gel, shear is shown to break-up the gel and the steady-state response of a broad-size aggregate suspension is eventually recovered. Received: 18 February 1999/Accepted: 6 July 1999     

Ellipticity conditions of the static equations of nonlinear elasticity

The relations of the nonlinear model of the theory of elasticity are considered. The Cauchy and the strain gradient tensors are taken to be the characteristics of the stress-strain state of a body. Sufficient conditions under which the static equations of elasticity are of elliptic type are established. These conditions are expressed in the form of constraints imposed on the derivatives of the elastic potential with respect to the strain-measure characteristics. The cases of anisotropic and isotropic bodies are treated, including the case where the Almansi tensor is taken to be the strain measure. The plane strain of a body is investigated using actual-state variables. Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 196–203, March–April, 1999.     

Discontinuous wave fronts propagation in anisotropic layered media

The problem of dynamic interaction of wave phase fronts with anisotropic elastic media interfaces is considered. A technique based on joint use of the ray theory, locally plane approach and theory of stereomechanical impact is elaborated. It is employed for the investigation of discontinuous waves propagation in anisotropic tectonic structures. The cases of interaction of quasi-longitudinal and quasi-shear discontinuous waves with the interfaces separating different anisotropic elastic media are treated. The issues are considered which are associated with the wave front surfaces bifurcations, generation of their singularities and caustics, as well as with stress concentration and formation of zones where the stresses tend to infinity.