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Journal of Rheology

Volume 49, Issue 1 (Jan-Feb 2005)


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Contents

Pressure oscillations and periodic extrudate distortions of longchain branched polyolefins
Jaap den Doelder, Rudy Koopmans, Marc Dees, and Marc Mangnus
Steady state and transient rheological behavior of mesophase pitch: Part I – Experimental
Anthony D. Cato, Dan D. Edie, and Graham M. Harrison
DNA configurations and concentration in shearing flow near a glass surface in a microchannel
Lin Fang, Hua Hu, and Ronald G. Larson
Extensibility of rubber under different types of deformation
A. N. Gent
Steady state and transient rheological behavior of mesophase pitch: Part II – Theoretical
Dana Grecov and Alejandro D. Rey
Comparison of shear-induced crystallization behavior of PB-1 samples with different molecular weight distribution
C. Hadinata, C. Gabriel, M. Ruellmann, and H. M. Laun
Glass transitions and shear thickening suspension rheology
C. B. Holmes, M. E. Cates, M. Fuchs, and P. Sollich
The rheology of dilute solutions of flexible polymers: Progress and problems
Ronald G. Larson
Response of concentrated suspensions under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow
Takatsune Narumi, Howard See, Atsushi Suzuki, and Tomiichi Hasegawa
Extrusion of triblock and pentablock copolymers: Evolution of bulk and surface morphology
Alhad Phatak, Christopher W. Macosko, Frank S. Bates, and Stephen F. Hahn
Co-continuity in immiscible polymer blends: A gel approach
Mickael Castro, Frédéric Prochazka, and Christian Carrot
Scaling behavior for gravity induced flow of a yield stress material
John E. Sader and Malcolm R. Davidson
Basic rheological features of block polyurethane solutions: Entanglements, crystallization and gelation
Sonia Florez, María Eugenia Muñoz, and Anton Santamaría
Stress dielectric response in liquid polymers
Yiyan Peng, Yuri M Shkel, and GeunHyung Kim
The flowability of ice suspensions
Jason R. Stokes, Julia H Telford, and Ann-Marie Williamson
A critical evaluation of step strain flows of entangled linear polymer liquids
David C. Venerus
Theory of morphology evolution in mixtures of viscoelastic immiscible components
Wei Yu, Chixing Zhou, and Mosto Bousmina

Pressure oscillations and periodic extrudate distortions of longchain branched polyolefins

Jaap den Doeldera) and Rudy Koopmans
Dow Benelux B.V., Core R&D
P.O. Box 48, 4530 AA, Terneuzen, The Netherlands

Marc Dees and Marc Mangnus
Dow Benelux B.V., Plastics R&D
P.O. Box 48, 4530 AA, Terneuzen, The Netherlands

Abstract

Capillary rheometry is a much used technique for measuring pressure – flow rate behavior of polymer melts. The nature of such a “flow curve” depends on polymer architecture, die geometry, die material composition, and rheometer operating conditions. Typically, with increasing flow rates, monotonic flow curves have been associated with extrudates that transcend from smooth to being volume-distorted. Alternatively, nonmonotonic
flow curves have been associated with a sequence of extrudate appearances ranging from smooth via surface distortions and “spurt” to volume distortions. New experiments however indicate that monotonic flow curves can also be associated with “spurt-like” distorted extrudates. For several long-chain branched polymers it is reported that while the average pressure increases monotonically with increasing flow rate, the extrudate distortions transition through an unanticipated regime where the extrudate consists of alternating smooth and volume-distorted zones. Its origin is conjectured related to the specific viscoelastic flow properties of long-chain branched materials in the reservoir-die contraction region. Using a fast-response pressure transducer in the reservoir near the capillary die entry, the presence of small-amplitude pressure oscillations corresponding to the distortion period is confirmed. The critical conditions for the appearance of this phenomenon depend strongly on molecular mass and branching distribution.

a) Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cfdendoelder@dow.com

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Steady state and transient rheological behavior of mesophase pitch:
Part I – Experimental

Anthony D. Catoa), Dan D. Edieb), and Graham M. Harrison

Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films and
Department of Chemical Engineering
127 Earle Hall, Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0910, USA

Abstract

The rheology of a liquid crystalline mesophase pitch is reported. Over the range of shear rates and temperatures investigated, the steady state shear viscosity and the first normal stress difference display Region 1 and Region 2 flow behavior typical of many liquid crystalline systems. A kink in the transition between Regions 1 and 2 is also observed. The first normal stress difference is negative at low shear rates, but transitions to positive values in the shear rate region of the kink in the viscosity. These phenomena are explained by change in the molecular orientation of the sample. The evolution of the shear stress in transient startup and relaxation experiments is measured. There is a distinct overshoot in the startup of shearing, and a rapid decay of stress upon cessation of flow. As expected, the magnitude of the overshoot depends on the rest time between shearing. The estimated elastic constant is consistent with other work.

a) Current address: Chemical Technology Center, Fluor Corporation, 100 Fluor Daniel Drive, Greenville, SC 29607-2770, USA
b) Corresponding author. E-mail address: ddedie@clemson.edu

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DNA configurations and concentration in shearing flow near a glass surface in a microchannel

Lin Fang, Hua Hu, and Ronald G. Larson

Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2136

Abstract

We characterize the configurations and concentration of λ-phage DNA molecules in shear flow near a glass surface in a microchannel through epi-fluorescence microscopy. We observe that in Poiseuille flow, over a region extending from a glass surface up to about one third of the contour length of the DNA molecule, the average stretch of a λ-phage DNA molecule is significantly lower than in the bulk, in agreement with results obtained in a steady torsional shear flow by Li et al. (2004). We also find that the concentration of DNA molecules in this same region is notably lower than in the bulk, to a degree that increases with increasing Weissenberg number. A simplified explanation is proposed for the behavior of DNA molecules near the glass surface based on wall influences on hydrodynamic interaction within the chain, motivated by the recent theoretical work of Jendrejack et al. (2003, 2004).

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Extensibility of rubber under different types of deformation

A. N. Gent

The University of Akron
Akron OH 44325-3909

Abstract

The finite lengths of molecular strands in a crosslinked rubber network impose a limit on the extensibility because some of the strands become fully stretched. This feature must be taken into account in formulating a strain energy function W to describe the elastic response of rubber, especially for high strains. The question is: Are the maximum strains the same for different types of deformation, or different? Maximum strains are compared here for various types of homogeneous deformation: simple extension; simple shear and pure shear (constrained tension); and equi-biaxial extension. The rubber is assumed to consist of a network of Gaussian strands that are randomly arranged in the unstrained state and deform affinely until representative strands become fully stretched, at a limiting value J1m of the first strain invariant, J1. Dickie and Smith (1971) showed that the extensibility in equi-biaxial stretching is only about 70% of that in simple extension, in accord with a limiting value of J1. For other simple types of deformation the extensibilities are expected to be nearly equal. Possible deficiencies in the model and in the experiments are then considered. It is concluded that the general result is likely to be valid, and that a model for rubber elasticity at large strains should include a limiting value of the first strain invariant, J1, rather than the second, J2.

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 Steady state and transient rheological behavior of mesophase pitch:
Part II – Theoretical

Dana Grecov and Alejandro D. Reya)

Department of Chemical Engineering
McGill University, 3610 University Street
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B2

Abstract

We present a comprehensive nonlinear numerical analysis of the flow modeling of mesophase pitches performed using a previously formulated mesoscopic viscoelastic rheological theory (Singh and Rey (2000)) that takes into account short-range order elasticity, long range elasticity and flow-induced texture transformations. A complete extra stress tensor equation is developed from first principles for liquid crystal materials under non-homogeneous arbitrary flow. This mesoscopic viscoelastic model has been adapted to describe the rheology of flow-aligning thermotropic discotic nematic liquid crystals as models of mesophase pitches. Predictions for simple shear flow (under non-homogeneous conditions) for the shear viscosity, first normal stress differences and transient shear stress are presented. The accuracy of the numerical results is established by a thorough validation procedure based on (Cato et al. (2004)), which is the companion paper, and permit to validate this mesoscopic viscoelastic theory as model of liquid crystalline mesophase pitch. Very good qualitatively agreement between experiments and simulations is found for all rheological characterizations.

a) Corresponding author. E-mail address: aleajandro.rey@mcgill.ca

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Comparison of shear-induced crystallization behavior of PB-1 samples with different molecular weight distribution

C. Hadinataa), C. Gabrielb),  M. Ruellmanna), and H. M. Launa)

a) Polymer Physics, BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Polymer Physics
Ludwigshafen/Rhein 67056, Germany

b) Polymer Physics & Characterization, Basell R&D
Frankfurt am Main, D-65926, Germany

Abstract

Shear-induced crystallization behavior of three grades of PB-1 having different molecular weights and breadths of molecular weight distribution was investigated by means of rotational rheometry covering a shear rate range of 0.0001 up to 0.3 s-1 and temperatures between 99°C and 107°C. The up-shoot in viscosity after a certain time is used to define an onset time ton for both quasi-quiescent and shear-induced crystallization. The plot of ton vs. shear rate can be converted into a temperature-invariant curve by dividing the y-axis by quiescent onset time ton,q and multiplying x-axis by the square root of ton,q. Possible reasons for this finding will be addressed. The shape and location of the T-invariant curves for the three PB-1 samples are compared with respect to their molecular parameters. An additional normalization step by multiplying the abscissa by the square root of the characteristic retardation time of the melt yields a dimensionless representation of the T-invariant curve. Furthermore, by this procedure the three curves are shifted into one region, where they have the same threshold value indicating the onset of shear-induced crystallization. A connection of this T-invariant curve to the morphology of the crystallites formed will be addressed.

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Glass transitions and shear thickening suspension rheology

C. B. Holmes and M. E. Catesa)
School of Physics, The University of Edinburgh, JCMB,
The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 VZ, UK

M. Fuchs
Fachbereich Physik, Universitat Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany

P. Sollich
Department of Mathematics, King's College,
University of London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

Abstract

We introduce a class of simple models for shear thickening and/ or 'jamming' in colloidal suspensions. These are based on schematic mode coupling theory (MCT) of the glass transition, having a memory term that depends on a density variable, and on both the shear stress and the shear rate. (Tensorial aspects of the rheology, such as normal stresses, are ignored for simplicity.) We calculate steady-state flow curves and correlation functions. Depending on model parameters, we find a range of rheological behaviours, including 'S-shaped' flow curves, indicating discontinuous shear thickening, and stress-induced transitions from a fluid to a nonergodic (jammed) state, showing zero flow rate in an interval of applied stress. The shear thickening and jamming scenarios that we explore appear broadly consistent with experiments on dense colloids close to the glass transition, despite the fact that we ignore hydrodynamic interactions. In particular, the jamming transition we pro-pose is conceptually quite different from various hydrodynamic mechanisms of shear thickening in the literature, although the latter might remain pertinent at lower colloid densities. Our jammed state is a stress-induced glass, but its nonergodicity transitions have an analytical structure distinct from that of the conventional MCT glass transition.

a) Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mec@ph.ed.ac.uk

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The rheology of dilute solutions of flexible polymers: Progress and problems

Ronald G. Larson

Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Michigan 48109-2136

Abstract

Recent progress towards understanding the rheology of dilute solutions of flexible polymers is reviewed, emphasizing experimental results from flows of single DNA molecules and filament-stretching rheometry of dilute polystyrene Boger fluids, as well as Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations of these flows. The bead-spring and bead-rod models are presented, the range of their applicability discussed, and methods presented for inclusion of hydrodynamics interactions, excluded volume, and other physical effects within BD simulations. After reviewing and updating work in the linear viscoelastic regime, the primary focus shifts to the more complex nonlinear regime. While Brownian dynamics predictions of the conformations of 20-to-100-micron long DNA molecules in strong shear and extensional flows has been in good to excellent agreement with the corresponding experiments, predictions of the polystyrene dilute solution rheometry data have been hit-or-miss, with poorer results obtained for the higher molecular weights. This may in part be due to the more important roles of hydrodynamic interactions and excluded volume interactions in the more flexible, and therefore more condensed, polystyrene coils. Inclusion of these effects in BD simulations has led to improved predictions, but do not lead to accurate prediction of the plateau Trouton viscosity for higher molecular weight samples, nor the complete failure of simulations to predict measurements of coil distortion by light scattering. Thus, despite enormous progress in the past decade, some significant gaps in understanding remain.

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  Response of concentrated suspensions under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow

Takatsune Narumia)
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Niigata University,
8050 2-no-cho Ikarashi, Niigata 950-2181, Japan

Howard See
Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Sydney,
NSW 2006, Sydney, Australia

Atsushi Suzuki and Tomiichi Hasegawa
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Niigata University,
8050 2-no-cho Ikarashi, Niigata 950-2181, Japan

Abstract

Concentrated suspensions of non-Brownian spheres dispersed in a Newtonian carrier liquid were placed under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow. It was found that the response waveforms consisted of a transient response after each reversal in the shearing direction, followed by purely viscous behaviour. It was thought that rearrangements in the particulate microstructure could account for this transient response. Further, the characteristic strain for the microstructural rearrangement was found to be essentially independent of the oscillation frequency, and showed good agreement with the corresponding characteristic strain obtained from measurements of the transient response after shear reversal in continuous shear experiments. In addition, the fluidity in the oscillatory flow after the transient response was found to be higher than that in the steady flow case. This increase in fluidity was found to depend on the particle size dispersity, with the largest fluidity difference occurring with the mono-dispersed systems.

a) Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: narumi@eng.niigata-u.ac.jp

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Extrusion of triblock and pentablock copolymers: Evolution of bulk and surface morphology

Alhad Phatak, Christopher W. Macosko, and Frank S. Batesa)
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

Stephen F. Hahn
The Dow Chemical Company
23-1 N. Brazosport Blvd, Building B-1470D
Freeport, Texas 77541

Abstract

We report studies on the extrusion of nearly monodisperse triblock and pentablock copolymers composed of poly(cyclohexylethylene) (C) and poly(ethylene) (E). Lamellae forming CEC triblock and CECEC pentablock copolymers were extruded through a slit die using a capillary rheometer at various processing speeds and temperatures below the order-disorder transition temperatures. Extrudate microstructure was characterized by small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and the surface characteristics were investigated by optical microscopy and profilometery. At low extrusion rates, the triblock and pentablock copolymers display different bulk orientation behavior, leading to relatively smooth surfaces in both cases. Above a characteristic wall shear stress, associated with a slope change in the flow curve, both polymers exhibit perpendicular lamellae alignment but dramatically different surface properties. The CEC material contains relatively low amplitude (ca. 1-3 mm) random roughness while the CECEC surface is highly textured, with periodic ~50 mm undulations that resemble a sharkskin morphology. These differences are attributed to the rheological consequences of center C bridging in the pentablock copolymer.

c) Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bates@cems.umn.edu

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Co-continuity in immiscible polymer blends: A gel approach

Mickael Castro, Frédéric Prochazkaa), Christian Carrot

Laboratoire de Rhéologie des Matières Plastiques, UMR 5156
Université Jean Monnet
23, rue du Dr Paul Michelon, 42023 Saint Etienne, France

Abstract

Rheological properties of PEO/PVdF-HFP immiscible polymer blends have been studied in the low frequency domain. As a function of the blend composition, two critical compositions have been determined by rheology. These compositions exhibit a power law relaxation spectrum with a critical exponent D. This observation leads us to compare the evolution of the morphology in a binary blend to the process of gelation. The supermolecular structure obtained at the limit of the co-continuity zone is assimilated to the native network in the chemical or physical gelation and discussed in term of self similar superstructure and fractal dimension.

a) E-mail: prochazk@univ-st-etienne.fr

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 Scaling behavior for gravity induced flow of a yield stress material

John E. Sadera) and Malcolm R. Davidsonb)

a) Department of Mathematics and Statistics
b) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
The University of Melbourne
Victoria, 3010
Australia

Abstract

Deformation of a cylinder of yield stress material under gravitational loading is investigated numerically, and found to obey a geometric scaling law that is independent of both the magnitude of deformation and yield stress. This scaling law provides a fundamental connection between the initial and final dimensions of the body, and the critical aspect ratio (radius / height) for the onset of flow. Importantly, this finding is contrary to the standard model of [Murata, Mater. Constr. (Paris), 17, 117-129 (1984); Pashias et al. J. Rheol. 40, 1179-1189 (1996)], which is currently used in industrial processes to measure the yield stress, and predicts that the deformation is independent of radius. Consequently, the accuracy of this latter model is assessed, and a new formalism for such yield stress measurements proposed.

a) E-mail: jsader@unimelb.edu.au
b) E-mail: m.davidson@unimelb.edu.au

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Basic rheological features of block polyurethane solutions: Entanglements, crystallization and gelation

Sonia Floreza), María Eugenia Muñozb), and Anton Santamaríab)

a) FUNDACIÓN INASMET
Paseo Mikeletegi, 2. 20009 San Sebastián, Spain

b) Polymer Science and Technology Department
POLYMAT Faculty of Chemistry
University of the Basque Country
20018 San Sebastián, Spain

Abstract

Three block polyurethane samples (differing in hard (urethane) to soft (macroglycol) segments ratio) dissolved in 2-butanone, are investigated. Rheological results obtained in the range 10 to 25ºC led to the hypothesis of an order-disorder transition (ODT) associated with H-bonds being discarded. The critical concentration and the characteristic molecular weight for entanglements, Mc, are estimated approximately from linear viscosity results. Mc decreases as the percent of hard segments in the polyurethane increases, a result which is correlated with short-distance chain parameters such as length and molecular weight per bond and characteristic ratio. Annealing clear solutions at temperatures around 0ºC causes haziness; on heating, a clearing temperature is detected at Tc » 15ºC. This transition coincides with a maximum observed in complex viscosity h* versus temperature curves. These results are probably due to incipient crystallization of soft segments domains. This hypothesis is compatible with DSC results. Opaque solutions give rise to thermoreversible gels: we assume that the network branch points necessary for gelation involve microcrystalline domains which result from crystallization of soft segments from solution.

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  Stress dielectric response in liquid polymers

Yiyan Peng, Yuri M Shkela), and GeunHyung Kim

Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706

Abstract

Deformation-induced dielectric response of dielectric materials, called dielectrostriction, provides a newapproach to study properties and structure of liquid polymers. The dielectrostriction effect resembles the well-known birefringence phenomenon. While birefringence in liquid polymers is described by the stressoptic relationship, a stress-dielectric relationship applies to dielectrostriction. However, dielectrostriction measurements can be performed on both transparent and opaque materials, require a much simpler data acquisition technique, are capable of local measuring stresses and can be implemented for in-line monitoring of polymer processing. In this study, a planar capacitor sensor technique has been developed to detect the dielectrostriction effect in shear flow of liquid polymers. Experimental evidences of the dielectrostriction effect and the stress-dielectric relationship in liquid polymers are presented for both silicone elastomer and Poly(ε-caprolactone). Mechanisms contributing to the similarity between the stressdielectric and the stress-optic relationship are discussed.

a) Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: yshkel@engr.wisc.edu

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 The flowability of ice suspensions

Jason R. Stokesa), Julia H Telford, and Ann-Marie Williamson

Unilever Corporate Research, Unilever R&D Colworth, Sharnbrook,
Bedford MK44 1LQ, United Kingdom

Abstract

Ice slurries show great potential for use in low energy refrigeration and cold storage systems but their transport properties and ice particle agglomeration are not well understood. Determination of the rheology of ice slurries has proved very difficult mainly due to the low viscosity carrier fluids currently used. In this paper we accurately characterise the rheology of a series of ice particle suspensions using a vane geometry at -18°C. The ice slurries have the same high viscosity continuous phase, so the effect of volume fraction of ice particles can be examined, and no phase separation occurs. The flow curves across the phase volume range of 9 % to 29 % were characterised by a large zero-shear viscosity (h0 > 10,000 Pa-s), and a region where the viscosity shear thins dramatically. The shear thinning occurs at a critical shear stress that is regarded here as an apparent yield stress (sy). Above the yield stress, the slurries flow according to a power law relationship. The zero-shear viscosity and apparent yield stress scale with the phase volume (f) according h0 ~ f 5 and sy ~ f 3.5 respectively. The large values of these exponents are in line with those found for strongly flocculated particulate suspensions. This suggests that the rheology at low stress is highly dependent on the interactions between ice crystals, and the aggregation process that causes a network structure to form.

a) E-mail: Jason.Stokes@unilever.com

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A critical evaluation of step strain flows of entangled linear polymer liquids

David C. Venerus

Department of Chemical Engineering and
Center of Excellence in Polymer Science and Engineering
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL 60616

Abstract

A critical evaluation of step strain flow experiments on entangled, linear polymer liquids is performed. Roughly one-half of the published shear stress relaxation modulus data for these systems are consistent with the predictions of the well-known tube model. A model of step strain flow experiments is developed to determine whether the remaining published data, which are qualitatively different from tube model predictions, are simply artifacts caused by slip, an imperfect strain step strain history, or transducer compliance. Modeling results suggest that these factors are capable of producing the types of behavior observed in experiments deemed anomalous . New criteria based on the retraction time tR, or longest Rouse relaxation time, for avoiding anomalies caused by imperfect strain step strain history and transducer compliance are proposed. These simple criteria are, in a majority of cases, found to be capable of predicting the type of observed stress relaxation behavior for 60 published step strain experiments on entangled, linear polymer liquids.

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Theory of morphology evolution in mixtures of viscoelastic immiscible components

Wei Yua), Chixing Zhou
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai 200240, P. R. China

Mosto Bousmina
Canada Research Chair on Polymer Physics and Nanomaterials.
Department of Chemical Engineering, CREPEC
Laval University, Sainte-Foy, Quebec G1K 7P4, Canada

Abstract

An ellipsoidal model was constructed to describe the morphological evolution and rheological properties of a mixture of two immiscible viscoelastic components. The phenomenological parameters in the model were determined by comparing the interfacial velocity gradient with the viscoelastic theory for small deformation. The model was then applied to various model blend systems to predict the steady deformation, transient deformation and relaxation after cessation of step shear flow. The model predictions were also compared with some available numerical simulations. The predictions on droplet deformation both in steady and transient regimes as well as the relaxation process were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results in literatures. The rheological properties predicted by present model were also found to agree with experimental results.

a) Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: wyu@sjtu.edu.cn

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