Macromolecules, Vol.31, No.15, 4986-4989, 1998
Shear-induced orientational order in a polystyrene/benzene-d(6) solution as observed by H-2 NMR
Using a home-built Couette-type shear cell we studied the behavior of a concentrated solution of polystyrene in benzene-d(6) under shear. Deuterium NMR revealed a shear-dependent splitting of the benzene-de signal, indicating partial orientation of the polystyrene due to shear forces. Our preliminary results show a linear relationship between the order parameter S-zz of the benzene molecule and the shear rate (gamma) over dot for the interval 0 s(-1) less than or equal to (gamma) over dot < 400 s(-1).