Convection and diffusion of polymer network strands (Q799171)

In this work the author examines some of the more popular constitutive equations with the objective of determining those most suitable for studying polymer processing. To achieve this objective, the author utilizes general principles rather than a detailed comparison of the different models and limits the study to entangled high molecular melts and concentrated solutions. The conclusion arrived at is that separable free energy models are the most appropriate. The BKZ integral model with a kernel factorable into a time-dependent and a strain-dependent part, or sets of Maxwell-type differential equations with a generalized convected derivative and linear in stress in the absence of flow, are the models recommended. This is a very readable and interesting paper.