Optical Determination of the Full Stress Tensor in Sheared Polymer Fluids

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Under a Research Initiation Award, a novel birefringence technique will be explored for characterizing the properties of polymeric fluids. In particular, more accurate and reliable measurements will be obtained for the full stress tensor, including the second normal stress difference. The technique will be applied to several phenomena in entangled linear polymer solutions, such as for example oscillatory shear. Polymeric fluids, and their characterization, play an important role in a very broad range of materials processing techniques. Optimal processing conditions would be predictable with greater certainty with better materials characterization.