Experimental problems and recent results in polymer melt rheometry

Abstract

Abstract Recent developments helped to solve some experimental problems in polymer melt rheometry: By a stability test one can find out whether under test conditions the individual polymer melt is sufficiently long stable. For melts with long relaxation times, an incomplete creep‐test followed by recovery is proposed to determine the linear viscoelastic material functions. In a cone‐and‐plate rheometer, a very constant heating system and the separation of the plate into a central disk and an outer ring allow us to measure the two normal stress differences in viscometric flows also at higher temperatures. For a commercial LCP, a special sample preparation technique is reported. Melt elongation followed by recovery in combination with morphological studies are presented for a polymer blend (PMMA/PS). From the combination of recovery after melt extension and morphology the interface tension between the melts of PS and PMMA can be determined.