Shear dependence of the reduced viscosity—concentration slope constant

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Abstract
The variation with shear of the concentration dependence of the reduced viscosity was studied in the system polystyrene‐toluene at 20, 40, and 60°C. The slope constant k′ was determined at constant shear stress k′T and at constant shear rate k′D; k′T was found to increase, k′D to decrease, with increasing shear. Alternatively, the concentration dependence was expressed in terms of Peterlin's effective viscosity. For this system the effective viscosity at constant shear stress was independent of shear but the effective viscosity at constant shear rate decreased with shear. The decrease in k′D, and in effective viscosity at constant shear rate with shear are attributed to molecular entanglement and an explanation is proposed for the observed differences in behaviour at constant shear stress and constant shear rate. In appendices a new formula for the calculation of viscosity ratios from the relative flow times is derived, and a procedure is outlined to compute intrinsic viscosities and limiting slope constants that will be free from absorption effects.