An experimental evaluation of the behaviour of mono and polydisperse polystyrenes in Cross-Slot flow

The behaviour of a number of mono and polydisperse polystyrenes are probed experimentally in complex extensional flow within a Cross-Slot geometry using flow-induced birefringence. Polystyrenes with similar molecular weight (M (w)) and increasing polydispersity (PD) illustrated the effect of PD on the principal stress difference (PSD) pattern in extensional flow. Monodisperse materials exhibited only slight asymmetry at moderate flowrates, although increased asymmetry and cusping was observed at high flowrates. The response of monodisperse materials of different M (w) at various flowrates is presented and characterised by Weissenberg numbers for both chain stretch and orientation using a theory for linear entangled polymers. The comparison of stress profiles against Weissenberg number for each process is used to determine whether the PSD pattern observed is independent of M (w) and elucidate which relaxation mechanism is dominant in the flow regimes probed. For monodisperse materials, at equivalent chain orientation Weissenberg number (We (tau d)), different molecular weight materials were seen to exhibit similar steady state PSD patterns independent of We (tau R) (chain stretch We). Whilst no obvious critical Weissenberg number (We) was found for the onset of increased asymmetry and cusping, it was found to occur in the "orientating flow without chain stretch" regime.