• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2006

Supercritical carbon dioxide ($scCO_2$) has advantages of being incorporated in polymer with high solubility and of being recovered easily by depressurizing. $scCO_2$ reduces the viscosity of polymer melt and it is expected to be use as a plasticizing agent. In this work, we studied on the effect of $scCO_2$ on the rheological properties of polymer melts during extrusion process. Slit die attached to twin screw extruder was used to measure the viscosity of polymer melts plasticized by supercritical $CO_2$. A gas injection system was devised to accurately meter the supercritical $CO_2$ into the extruder barrel. Measurements of pressure drop within the die, confirmed the presence of a one phase mixture and a fully developed flow during the measurements. The viscosity measurement of polypropylene was performed at experimental conditions of various temperatures, pressures and $CO_2$ concentrations. We observed that melt viscosity of polymer was dramatically reduced by $CO_2$ addition.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2004

Morphological and rheological properties of the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) blends were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and advanced rheometric expansion system (ARES). From the SEM results, the PMMA-PS blends showed dispersed morphology and the particle size of the dispersed phase was quite small (0.1~0.6 $\mu\textrm{m}$ compared with other immiscible polymer blends. Values of the interfacial tension of the PMMA-PS blend were obtained from the Choi-Schowalter and the Palierne emulsion models using the storage modulus of the PMMA and PS, and found to be 1.0 and 2.0 mN/m, respectively. The interfacial tension between the PMMA and PS was also calculated from the Flory-Huggins polymer-polymer interaction parameter ($\chi$) and found to be from 0.98 to 1.86 mN/m depending on the molecular weight and composition. Comparing the values of the interfacial tension from the Flory-Huggins polymer-polymer interaction parameter and the values measured by oscillatory rheometer, it is suggested that the interfacial tension of the PMMA-PS blend obtained from the polymer-polymer interaction parameter are in good agreement with the values obtained by rheological measurements.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2008

To satisfy good mechanical and optical properties of polymer-coated film products, it will be indispensable to elucidate the molecular orientation of polymer chains within coating liquids in coating flows. Using hybridized numerical method between computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations can provide the useful information for the better quality control of coated films. Flexible polymer chains, e.g., ${\lambda}$-DNA molecules here, change their conformation according to the flow strength and the flow type. The molecular conformation within the coated film on the web or substrate is quite different, because the polymer chains experience the complicated flow strength and flow types in flow field. Especially in the slot coating flow, these chains are more extended by the extension-like flow field generated in the free surface curvature just beyond the downstream die region. Also, the polymer chain extension beneath the free surface can be affected by the die geometry, e.g., the coating gap, changing flow field.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.111-116
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• 2005

The new tube model with variable diameter (Marrucci and Ianniruberto, 2004), recently introduced to interpret new elongational data of polymer melts, is here extended to encompass arbitrary flows, specifically shear flows. The predicted results compare well with existing data of entangled polymer melts. Challenges still remain when the comparison is extended to recent elongational data on entangled solutions by Sridhar.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2002

A series of thermoplastic polymers and their blends were melt-processed with high intensity ultrasonic wave in an intensive mixer. For the effective transfer of ultrasonic energy, an experimental apparatus was specially designed so that polymer melt can directly contact with ultrasonic horn. It was observed that significant variations in the rheological properties of polymers occur due to the unique action of ultrasonic wave without any aid of chemical additives. It was also found that the direct sonication on immiscible polymer blends in melt state reduces the domain sizes considerably and stabilizes the phase morphology of the blends. The degree of compatibilization was strongly affected by viscosity ratio of the components and the morphology was stable after annealing in properly compatibilized blends. It is suggested that ultrasound assisted melt mixing can lead to in-situ copolymer formation between the components and consequently provide an effective route to compatibilize immiscible polymer blends.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2003

Associating polymers are hydrophilic long-chain molecules to which a small amount of hydrophobic groups (hydrophobes) is incorporated. In aqueous solution, the association interactions result in the formation of three-dimensional network through flowerlike micelles at high concentrations. In colloidal suspensions, the associating polymers act as flocculated by bridging mechanism. The rheological properties of suspensions flocculated by associating polymers end-capped with hydrophobes are studied in relation to the bridging conformation. At low polymer concentrations, the polymer chains effectively form bridges between particles by multichain association. The suspensions are highly flocculated and show typical viscoelastic responses. When the polymer concentration is increased above the absorbance at saturation, the excess polymer chains remaining in the solution phase build up three-dimensional network by associating interactions. Since the presence of particles does not significantly influence the network structures in the medium, the relative viscosity, which gives a measure of the degree of flocculation is decreased with increasing polymer concentration. The bridging conformation and flocculation level vary strongly depending on the polymer concentrations.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.245-268
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• 2009

Recent developments in dilute polymer solution rheology are reviewed, and placed within the context of the general goals of predicting the complex flow of complex fluids. In particular, the interplay between the use of polymer kinetic theory and continuum mechanics to advance the microscopic and the macroscopic description, respectively, of dilute polymer solution rheology is delineated. The insight that can be gained into the origins of the high Weissenberg number problem through an analysis of the configurational changes undergone by a single molecule at various locations in the flow domain is discussed in the context of flow around a cylinder confined between flat plates. The significant role played by hydrodynamic interactions as the source of much of the richness of the observed rheological behaviour of dilute polymer solutions is highlighted, and the methods by which this phenomenon can be incorporated into a macroscopic description through the use of closure approximations and multi scale simulations is discussed.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.197-218
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• 1999

Rheological techniques are frequently used to characterize particulate suspensions and polymer systems. Experimental data frequently show that similar trends and characteristics are found in both systems. Using common examples and illustrations of the rheological behaviour, we attempt to bring together these separate fields and investigate the common links in the different systems. In many cases the similar rheological behaviour observed in these different systems can be related to the same basic physical principles.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.179-185
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• 2003

Associating polymers act as flocculants in colloidal suspensions, because the hydrophobic groups (hydrophobes) can adsorb onto particle surfaces and create intermolecular cross-linking. The steady-shear viscosity and dynamic viscoelasticity were measured for suspensions flocculated by multichain bridging of associating polymers. The effects of surfactant on the suspension rheology are studied in relation to the bridging conformation. The surfactant molecule behaves as a displacer and the polymer chains are forced to desorb from the particle surfaces. The overall effect of surfactant is the reduction of suspension viscosity. However, the additions of a small amount of surfactant to suspensions, in which the degree of bridging is low, cause a viscosity increase, although the number of chains forming one bridge is decreased by the forced desorption of associating polymer. Since the polymer chains desorbed from one bridge can form another bridge between bare particles, the bridging density over the system is increased. Therefore, the surfactant adsorption leads to a viscosity increase. The surfactant influences the viscosity in two opposing ways depending on the degree of bridging.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Rheology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.105-108
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• 2001