Dynamic theory of die swell for entangled polymeric liquids in tube extrusion: Correlations of total and ultimate extrudate swell effects to growth time, shear stress and aspect ratio under the free states

The dynamic theory of die swell deduced in a previous paper was extensively applied to study the extrudate swelling behaviors of two entangled polymeric liquids (HDPE and PBD) in a simple shear flow at steady shear stress. The mechanism and dynamics for the recoils and the recoveries of viscoelastic strains in the extrudate were investigated under the free recovery and dynamic states. It was found that in the course of recovery the free recoil and the growth of die swell in the extrudate may be divided into two recovery regions (instantaneous and delayed regions) and three growth stages (instantaneous, delayed, and ultimate extrudate swelling stages). The free recoil and the extrudate swelling behaviors may be expressed as a function of shear stress. The correlations of instantaneous, delayed, total and ultimate extrudate swell effects to the molecular parameters and the operational variables in the simple shear flow at steady shear stress were derived from the dynamic theory of die swell. Also, two sets of new universal equations on the total extrudate swelling effect (TESE) and ultimate extrudate swelling effect (UESE) were deduced. The first is the universal equation of the logarithmic correlation between the TESE and the growth time under the free and dynamic states; the second is the universal equation of the logarithmic correlation between the UESE and the operational variables under the free and equilibrium states. The first equation was verified by experimental data of PBD with different molecular weights at different operational variables. The second equation was verified by experimental data of HDPE at two temperatures and different operational variables. An excellent agreement result was obtained. The excellent agreement shows that the two universal equations can be used directly to predict the correlations of the TESE and UESE to the growth time, the molecular parameters, and the operational variables under the dynamic and equilibrium states.