Influence of shearing history on the rheological properties and processability of branched polymers. IV. Capillary flow and die swell of low‐density polyethylene

Low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) melts show anomalous rheological behavior; their viscoelastic properties vary with their shearing histories although their molecular structural parameters do not change. Capillary flow and die swell behavior were dependent not only on the experimental conditions such as temperature or shear stress but also on the processing index (PI), which was introduced in a preceding article in order to quantify the anomalous rheological behavior of LDPE melts. In addition, it was found that the flow activation energy at constant shear stress also varied with the shearing histories. The experimental findings are discussed in terms of the rheological flow units of LDPE melts.