Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Entangled Melts at High Rates: Identifying Entanglement Lockup Mechanism Leading to True Strain Hardening. Issue 1 (8th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Yexin; Tsige, Mesfin; Wang, Shi‐Qing
• Other Names: Liu Tianbo guestEditor.; Cavicchi Kevin guestEditor.; Li Yiwen guestEditor.; Yin Panchao guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Macromolecular rapid communications. Volume 44:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-09-08
• Subjects: molecular dynamics simulation -- polymer physics -- polymer rheology; Macromolecules -- Periodicals; Polymers -- Periodicals; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200159
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1022-1336

Abstract

Abstract: In the present work, molecular dynamics simulations are carried out based on the bead‐spring model to indicate how the entanglement lockup manifests in the late stage of fast Rouse‐Weissnberg number ( Wi R >>1) uniaxial melt stretching of entangled polymer melts. At high strains, distinct features show up to reveal the emergence of an increasingly tightened entanglement network. Chain tension can build up, peaking at the middle of the chain, to a level for chain scission, through accumulated interchain interactions, as if there is a tug‐of‐war ongoing for each load‐bearing chain. Thanks to the interchain uncrossability, network junctions form by the pairing of two or more hairpins. It is hypothesized that the interchain entanglement at junctions can lockup through prevailing twist‐like interchain couplings as long as Wi R > 9. In this limit, a significant fraction of chains act like cyclic chains to form a network held by interchain uncrossability, and appreciable chain tension emerges. Abstract : Molecular dynamics simulations are used to indicate how the entanglement lockup manifests in the late stage of fast Rouse‐Weissnberg number ( Wi R >>1) uniaxial melt stretching of entangled polymer melts. At high strains, chain tension can build up, peaking at the middle of the chain, through accumulated interchain interactions, as if there is a tug‐of‐war ongoing for each load‐bearing chain. The interchain entanglement due to uncrossability can lockup through prevailing twist‐like interchain couplings as long as Wi R > 9. The maximum chain tension can reach a level high enough for scission.