Shear-induced concentration fluctuations and form factor changes in polymer solution in the good-solvent regime

Small-Angle Scattering from sheared semidilute polymer solution is reported in the good-solvent regime, at variance with former light and neutron measurements in the regime. First, concentration fluctuations are observed: the scattering increases noticeably along the flow at low q, but at variance with former results for the theta-solvent regime, no demixing is observed at higher shear. Here, instead, the effects follow a time-temperature superposition and saturate above a Weissenberg number around 5, like the stress which is known to present a plateau for these systems. Using the Zero Average Contrast technique, we have also measured the form factor, which displays the same saturation effect reaching a deformation ratio of the order of 2. These results agree with the Convective Constraint Release models (CCR) elaborated in order to predict the stress effects in the non-Newtonian regime (Marrucci-Ianniruberto) and their extension predicting also the scattering (Likhtman-Milner-McLeish).Received: 5 July 2004, Published online: 1 October 2004PACS: 61.12.Ex Neutron scattering (including small-angle scattering) - 47.15.-x Laminar flow - 61.25.Hq Macromolecular and polymer solutions; polymer melts; swelling