SHEAR-INDUCED ASSOCIATION OF POLYMER MOLECULES

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Abstract
This paper considers the molecular association approach presented by Wolff (1982) to describe shear-thickening phenomena. Assuming that the increased probability of collision at high shear rates leads to the formation of doublets, one can express the reduced viscosity as a function of the concentration of the associated and unassociated polymer species. Calculations using the FENE dumbbell model to describe the respective intrinsic viscosities show that shear-thickening behavior is predicted and that experimental data can be adequately fit to theoretical plots using adjustable parameters which relate to molecular characteristics.