Dependence of the zero shear-rate viscosity and the viscosity function of linear high- density polyethylenes on the mass-average molar mass and polydispersity

• Published in: Rheologica acta 2006-06, Vol.45 (5), p.755-764
• Main Authors: STADLER, Florian J, PIEL, Christian, KASCHTA, Joachim, RULHOFF, Sascha, KAMINSKY, Walter, MUNSTEDT, Helmut
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Creep tests; Crossovers; Dependence; Exact sciences and technology; High density polyethylenes; Molecular structure; Organic polymers; Parameters; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polydispersity; Polyethylene; Properties and characterization; Rheology and viscoelasticity; Shear; Viscosity
• ISSN: 0035-4511; 1435-1528
• DOI: 10.1007/s00397-005-0042-6

Linear high-density polyethylenes with molar masses Mw between 240 and 1,000,000 g/mol, obtained by metallocene catalysts, were characterized in shear using oscillatory and creep tests. The polydispersities of the molar mass distributions (MMDs) lay between 1 and 16. The resulting zero shear-rate viscosities η0 covered a range from 2.5×10−3 to around 108 Pas. Above a critical molar mass of Mc≈2,900 g/mol, the experimental results can be described by the relation η0 ∼ Mw3.6, independently of the MMD. The oscillatory data were fitted with a Carreau–Yasuda equation. The resulting parameters were correlated to molecular structure. The parameter a, being a quantity for the width of the transition between the Newtonian and the non-Newtonian regime, showed a dependence on the molar mass Mw but not on Mw/Mn. The parameter λ of the Carreau-Yasuda equation was found to be the reciprocal crossover frequency for all samples with a log-Gaussian MMD. λ depends on the molar mass Mw and also on Mw/Mn.