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Rheologica Acta, Vol.47, No.1, 111-119, 2008
Simultaneous measurements of velocity and stress distributions in polyisobutylenes using laser-Doppler velocimetry and flow induced birefringence
An experimental device was set up for the synchronous measurement of velocities and stresses in polyisobutylenes using laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and the two-colour flow-induced birefringence method (FIB). The materials investigated are three low molecular polyisobutylenes. Velocity (LDV) and stress (FIB) measurements are performed in the flow entrance region and inside a slit die with a contraction ratio of 1:10. The behaviour of the polyisobutylenes is Newtonian under the flow conditions applied. Therefore, the stresses inside the fluids can be calculated and compared to the stresses experimentally determined. A good agreement in shear and elongational flows was found between the calculated (LDV) and directly measured stresses (FIB). This result demonstrates the applicability of the experimental setup as an optical rheometer that can preferentially be used to measure elongational properties of low viscous fluids.
Keywords:polyisobutylene;laser-Doppler velocimetry;flow induced birefringence;stress optical coefficient;elongational viscosity