Prediction of normal stresses under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow

The dynamic response of viscoelastic fluids under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) has been a subject of long history. In the LAOS flow, the analysis has been mostly focused on shear stress, possibly due to the lack of accurate measurement of normal stress. However, the normal stress may become larger than shear stress at high-strain amplitudes, and thus it is important that we have a good understanding of the normal stress behavior. Furthermore, with the advancement in the instrumentation, it has become possible to get more reliable data. The purpose of this paper is to develop a research platform to analyze and to understand the normal stress behavior of complex fluids under LAOS flow. In this study, we utilized the Giesekus model as a representative constitutive model, and investigated its diverse responses. We defined the dynamic properties corresponding to normal stress, in a similar way to define dynamic moduli from shear stress, and examine their behavior with various analyzing tools. Experimental data were also compared with model predictions. Despite the fact that it is not yet possible to compare all of the predictions because of instrumental limitation, the prediction has been found to fit well with the experimental data. This study is expected to provide a useful framework for further understanding the nonlinear behavior of complex fluids at large deformation.     

Rheological behavior of fiber-filled polymers under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow

Small and large amplitude oscillatory shear measurements (SAOS and LAOS) were used to investigate the rheological behavior of short glass fibers suspended in polybutene and molten polypropylene. Raw torque and normal force signals obtained from a strain-controlled instrument (ARES rheometer) were digitized using an analog to digital converter (ADC) card to allow more precise data analysis. The fiber concentration did not affect the torque signal in the SAOS mode, except for its magnitude, whereas the normal force signal was too low to be measurable. With increasing strain amplitude, the magnitude of the torque became a function of time. Depending on the applied frequency and strain rate, the stress in the filled polybutene increased with time, whereas for reinforced polypropylene (viscoelastic matrix), the behavior was opposite, i.e. the stress decreased with time. These effects were more pronounced at high fiber content. In addition the primary normal stress differences were no longer negligible at large deformation amplitude and exhibited a non-sinusoidal periodic response. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis was performed and the resulting spectra, along with Lissajous figures of the shear stress and the primary normal stress differences, are explained in terms of fiber orientation. The experimental results for the suspensions in polybutene are well predicted by the Folgar-Tucker-Lipscomb (FTL) model.     

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.     

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     

Polymer motion as detected via dielectric spectra of 1,4-cis-polyisoprene under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS)

In order to investigate the global polymer chain motion under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS), the dielectric properties under LAOS are measured by a new rheo-dielectric combination. The design of the rheo-dielectric setup including a new fixture and modified oven is explained in detail. For 1,4-cis-polyisoprene, having type-A dipoles parallel to the backbone, the dielectric dipoles can detect the global polymer chain motion via the end-to-end vector. Thus rheological and dielectric (rheo-dielectric) properties reflect the dynamics of the polymer chain motion under LAOS. In this study, we investigate the rheo-dielectric properties under LAOS with 1,4-cis-polyisoprene as model component. As the strain amplitude was increased under LAOS, the relaxation strength from dielectric properties decreased for the whole spectra without changing the shape of the dielectric spectra. These results are analyzed on the basis of the molecular model of dynamic tube dilation (DTD) induced by the convective constraint release (CCR). It is found that the global chain motion under LAOS flow is affected by both rheological frequency and strain amplitude. It is also observed that segmental motion is affected via the oscillatory frequency under LAOS. This result differs from experiments under steady shear.     

A note on start-up and large amplitude oscillatory shear flow of multimode viscoelastic fluids

Start up of plane Couette flow and large amplitude oscillatory shear flow of single and multimode Maxwell fluids as well as Oldroyd-B fluids have been analyzed by analytical or semi-analytical procedures. The result of our analysis indicates that if a single or a multimode Maxwell fluid has a relaxation time comparable or smaller than the rate of change of force imparted on the fluid, then the fluid response is not singular as Elasticity Number (E ). However, if this is not the case, as E , perturbations of single and multimode Maxwell fluids give rise to highly oscillatory velocity and stress fields. Hence, their behavior is singular in this limit. Moreover, we have observed that transients in velocity and stresses that are caused by propagation of shear waves in Maxwell fluids are damped much more quickly in the presence of faster and faster relaxing modes. In addition, we have shown that the Oldroyd-B model gives rise to results quantitatively similar to multimode Maxwell fluids at times larger than the fastest relaxation time of the multimode Maxwell fluid. This suggests that the effect of fast relaxing modes is equivalent to viscous effects at times larger than the fastest relaxation time of the fluid. Moreover, the analysis of shear wave propagation in multimode Maxwell fluids clearly show that the dynamics of wave propagation are governed by an effective relaxation and viscosity spectra. Finally, no quasi-periodic or chaotic flows were observed as a result of interaction of shear waves in large amplitude oscillatory shear flows for any combination of frequency and amplitudes.     

Orientation behavior of AB and ABC block copolymers under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow

Flow alignment in a large amplitude oscillatory shear field (LAOS) of a lamellar AB and a lamellar ABC block copolymer (A,B are lamellae, C forms cylinders in B-lamellae) has been studied. 2D-small angle X-ray scattering (2D-SAXS) and scanning electron microscopy were used for morphological characterization, and flow birefringence and Fourier-Transform rheology were used to monitor the orientation. The diblock copolymer shows the known frequency-dependent orientation behavior, i.e., a perpendicular or a parallel orientation of the lamellae, while under all conditions for the ABC block copolymer only a perpendicular orientation after a long induction period was found. Due to the introduced third block C the AB lamellar structure with a high viscosity contrast between the A and B domains cannot adapt a parallel orientation of sliding phases. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicates shear induced improvement of the microphase separation of the short C block.     

Polydomain model predictions of liquid crystalline polymer orientation in mixed shear/extensional channel flows

 The Larson-Doi (LD) polydomain model is used to simulate orientation development along the centerline of slit-expansion and slit-contraction flows of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs). Orientation is computed using the LD structural evolution equations, subject to an imposed velocity field that accounts for the spatial variation of both shear and extension rates characteristic of this class of flows. Computed axial distributions of orientation averaged through the sample thickness are qualitatively similar to birefringence and X-ray scattering measurements of molecular orientation in similar flows of lyotropic and thermotropic LCPs. In slit-expansion flows, the simulations predict a 90^∘ flip in orientation direction near the midplane due to transverse stretching in the expansion region. Far away from the midplane where shear gradients dominate, orientation remains primarily along the flow direction. Within the LD model, tumbling and flow aligning materials respond in a qualitatively similar manner to mixed shear and extension, although tumbling materials are systematically more susceptible to the effects of extension. Received: 22 October 1999/Accepted: 13 January 2000     

Orthogonal superposition of small and large amplitude oscillations upon steady shear flow of polymer fluids

The orthogonal superposition of small and large amplitude oscillations upon steady shear flow of elastic fluids has been considered. Theoretical results, obtained by numerical methods, are based on the Leonov viscoelastic constitutive equation. Steady-state components, amplitudes and phase angles of the oscillatory components of the shear stress, the first and second normal stress differences as functions of shear rate, deformation amplitude and frequency have been calculated. These oscillatory components include the first and third harmonic of the shear stresses and the second harmonic of the normal stresses. In the case of small amplitude superposition, the effect of the steady shear flow upon the frequency-dependent storage modulus and dynamic viscosity has been determined and compared with experimental data available in literature for polymeric solutions. The predicted results have been found to be in fair agreement with the experimental data at low shear rates and only in qualitative agreement at high shear rates and low frequencies. A comparison of the present theoretical results has also been made with the predictions of other theories.In the case of large amplitude superposition, the effect of oscillations upon the steady shear flow characteristics has been determined, indicating that the orthogonal superposition has less influence on the steady state shear stresses and the first difference of normal stresses than the parallel superposition. However, in the orthogonal superposition a more pronounced influence has been observed for the second difference of normal stresses.     

Channel flow of a liquid crystal polymer around an obstacle: Weld line structure and strain field

 We have studied by in situ microscopy the flow of a lyotropic liquid crystal polymer, hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) in water, around an obstacle placed in a rectangular flow channel. The obstacle separates the flow into two parts which rejoin downstream of the obstacle, resulting in the formation of a `weld-line'. Measuring the velocity field in the vicinity of the weld-line beyond the obstacle, we find as expected a positive elongational strain (acceleration) along the weld (parallel to the flow direction). For an anisotropic (concentrated) HPC solution we observe in addition a significant shear strain in the weld-line region, there being an important velocity gradient perpendicular to the plane of the weld line. Isotropic (lower concentration) solutions of the same polymer demonstrate no visible weld line, a larger elongational strain rate near the obstacle, and no shear component of strain downstream of the obstacle. These results are similar to observations reported for fluids reinforced by macroscopic fibres. Polarised light observations of the anisotropic solution show that the strain field generates a generally increased degree of orientation of the liquid crytalline polymer near the weld (generally reduced crossed-polariser transmitted intensity when the polariser is parallel to the flow direction), however there is also a striking fine birefringent colour variation in the weld-line region, reminiscent of the structure observed at the channel side walls in rectangular channel flow (Haw and Navard 2000). The results show that the simple concept of weld-line structure as confined to an enhanced alignment along the weld due to elongational strain is incomplete; the two-dimensional shear strain field must also be taken into account for the anisotropic fluid. Received: 22 December 1999/Accepted: 4 January 2000     

Time dependent flow in equimolar micellar solutions: transient behaviour of the shear stress and first normal stress difference in shear induced structures coupled with flow instabilities

Recently we studied time dependent structural changes that are coupled with flow instabilities (Fischer 1998; Wheeler 1998; Fischer 2000). Within a stability analysis, a classification scheme for the feedback circuit of coupled shear-induced structure and flow instabilities was derived by Schmitt et al. (1995) and applied to our samples. Here, inhomogeneous flow layers of different concentration and viscosity are generated by shear-induced diffusion (spinodal demixing) and, as consequence, one no longer observes a homogeneous solution but a type of shear banding that is seen here for the first time. In this paper we present the behaviour of the first normal stress difference observed in the critical shear-rate regime where transient shear-induced structure is coupled with flow instability. Similar to the oscillations of the shear stresses (strain-controlled rheometer) one observes oscillations in the first normal stress difference. This behaviour indicates that elastic structures are built up and destroyed while the shear-induced structures occur and that the induced phase is more elastic than the initial one. Oscillations of shear stress and first normal stress difference are in phase and indicate that both phenomena are caused by the same mechanism. Received: 30 June 1999/Accepted: 14 December 1999     

Coupling of adsorption and diffusion in porous and granular materials. A 1-D example of the boundary value problem

Summary  In the paper, we present a macroscopic continuum model of adsorption in porous materials consisting of three components. We consider the flow of a fluid component through channels of the skeleton. It serves as carrier for an adsorbate whose mass balance equation contains a source term. The source consists of two parts: a Langmuir contribution, connected with bare sites on internal surfaces, which becomes in equilibrium the Langmuir isotherm, and changes of the internal surface driven by the source of porosity. The model for the latter contribution is new. Parameters of this model are analyzed by means of an example of solution of a boundary value problem for the full set of field equations, which describes the transport of pollutants in soils. Received 27 May 1999; accepted for publication 20 October 1999     

The crossover between linear and non-linear mechanical behaviour in polymer solutions as detected by Fourier-transform rheology

 The application of oscillatory shear strain leads, in the non-linear regime, to the appearance of higher harmonic contributions in the shear stress response. These contributions can be analyzed as spectra in Fourier space, with respect to different frequencies, amplitudes and phase angles. In this article, we present an application of this new characterization method to a solution of the linear homopolymer polyisobutylene. The degree of non-linear response during oscillatory shear is quantified using the normalized intensity of the third harmonic contribution. We were able to show experimentally on polyisobutylene that there is an immediate onset of the non-linear response even for very small shear strain amplitudes. Received: 21 June 1999/Accepted: 21 August 1999     

Electro-mechanical analysis of an interfacial crack between a piezoelectric and two orthotropic layers

Summary  The problem of an interfacially cracked three-layered structure constructed of a piezoelectric and two orthotropic materials is analyzed using the theory of linear piezoelectricity and fracture mechanics. Anti-plane shear loading is considered, and the integral transform technique is used to determine the stress intensity factor. Numerical examples show the electro-mechanical effects of various material combinations and layer thicknesses on the stress intensity factor. Interesting results are obtained in comparison with earlier solutions for interfacially cracked piezoelectric structures. Received 29 December 2000; accepted for publication 3 May 2001     

Transient response of an insulating crack between dissimilar piezoelectric layers under mechanical and electrical impacts

Summary  The dynamic response of an interface crack between two dissimilar piezoelectric layers subjected to mechanical and electrical impacts is investigated under the boundary condition of electrical insulation on the crack surface by using the integral transform and the Cauchy singular integral equation methods. The dynamic stress intensity factors, the dynamic electrical displacement intensity factor, and the dynamic energy release rate (DERR) are determined. The numerical calculation of the mode-I plane problem indicates that the DERR is more liable to be the token of the crack growth when an electrical load is applied. The dynamic response shows a significant dependence on the loading mode, the material combination parameters as well as the crack configuration. Under a given loading mode and a specified crack configuration, the DERR of an interface crack between piezoelectric media may be decreased or increased by adjusting the material combination parameters. It is also found that the intrinsic mechanical-electrical coupling plays a more significant role in the dynamic fracture response of in-plane problems than that in anti-plane problems. Received 4 September 2001; accepted for publication 23 July 2002 The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation under Grant Number 19891180, the Fundamental Research Foundation of Tsinghua University, and the Education Ministry of China.     

The effect of a transition layer between a fluid and a porous medium: shear flow in a channel

Flow in a three-layer channel is modeled analytically. The channel consists of a transition layer sandwiched between a porous medium and a fluid clear of solid material. Within the transition layer, the reciprocal of the permeability varies linearly across the channel. The Brinkman model is used for the momentum equations for the porous medium layer and the transition layer. The velocity profile is obtained in closed form in terms of Airy, exponential, and polynomial functions. The overall volume flux and boundary friction factors are calculated and compared with values obtained with a two-layer model employing the Beavers–Joseph condition at the interface between a Darcy porous medium and a clear fluid.     

The Domain-Boundary Element Method (DBEM) for hyperelastic and elastoplastic finite deformation: axisymmetric and 2D/3D problems

Summary  This paper presents the solution of geometrically nonlinear problems in solid mechanics by the Domain-Boundary Element Method. Because of the Total-Lagrange approach, the arising domain and boundary integrals are evaluated in the undeformed configuration. Therefore, the system matrices remain unchanged during the solution procedure, and their time-consuming computation needs to be performed only once. While the integral equations for axisymmetric finite deformation problems will be derived in detail, the basic ideas of the formulation in two and three dimensions can be found in [1]. The present formulation includes torsional problems with finite deformations, where additional terms arise due to the curvilinear coordinate system. A Newton–Raphson scheme is used to solve the nonlinear set of equations. This involves the solution of a large system of linear equations, which has been a very time-consuming task in former implementations, [1, 2]. In this work, an iterative solver, i.e. the generalized minimum residual method, is used within the Newton–Raphson algorithm, which leads to a significant reduction of the computation time. Finally, numerical examples will be given for axisymmetric and two/three-dimensional problems. Received 29 August 2000; accepted for publication 10 October 2000     

Coupling between countercurrent gas and solid flows in a moving granular bed: The role of shear bands at the walls

We extended the standard approach to countercurrent gas–solid flow in vertical vessels by explicitly coupling the gas flow and the rheology of the moving bed of granular solids, modelled as a continuum, pseudo-fluid. The method aims at quantitatively accounting for the presence of shear in the granular material that induces changes in local porosity, affecting the gas flow pattern through the solids. Results are presented for the vertical channel configuration, discussing the gas maldistribution both through global and specific indexes, highlighting the effect of the relevant parameters such as solids and gas flowrate, channel width, and wall friction. Non-uniform gas flow distribution resulting from uneven bed porosity is also discussed in terms of gas residence time distribution (RTD). The theoretical RTD in a vessel of constant porosity and Literature data obtained in actual moving beds are qualitatively compared to our results, supporting the relevance under given circumstances of the coupling between gas and solids flow.