Mechanical Degradation Of Dilute Solutions Of High Polymers In Capillary Tube Flow

Experimental results on mechanical degradation in capillary tubes of polyisobutylene polymers in dilute solution are described. In laminar flow, degradation is independent of tube length, indicating that entrance effects are dominant. This shows that capillary experiments do not yield explicit information on the effect of shear stress on mechanical degradation. In turbulent flow, large entrance effects are also observed, but some degradation does take place in the fully developed flow region. Copyright © 1975 John Wiley & Sons, Inc