Unstable flow of amorphous polymers through capillaries I. Velocity profiles of polymer having discontinuous flow curve

Ciné film was employed for recording the movement of tracer particles, thus directly determining the velocity profile in the capillary flow of model materials of polybutadiene over a range of shear stresses relating to (1.) flow conditions in which there is no distortion of the regular stream of melt emerging from a capillary, (2.) severe surface fracture, (3.) elastic turbulence, (4.) oscillatory flow of melts with discontinuous flow curves. No qualitative difference was found between the velocity profiles in conditions (1) and (2); surface fracture is not related to laminar flow disturbances and originates at the capillary exit. Surface fracture must be distinguished from elastic turbulence. The streamline velocities undergo both local and time variations within the capillary under conditions of developed elastic turbulence; the wall velocity is non‐zero. A periodic pulsation of velocities occurs in the flow curve discontinuity region; it takes place throughout the capillary and is caused by stick‐slipping of polymer on the capillary wall. The frequency of velocity pulsations coincides with the frequency of extrudate variations.