Three-dimensional characterisation of full field stress and velocity fields for polyethylene melt through abrupt contraction

Abstract

Full field flow induced birefringence and velocity measurements are presented for a polydisperse low density polyethylene melt flowing through a 4 : 1 abrupt contraction. Through the use of borosilicate windows on all four sides of the contraction, in addition to the more typical measurements in the streamwise/normal (x–y) plane, data in the streamwise/cross-stream (x–z) plane have also been obtained providing detailed full field measurements of the three-dimensional nature of these flows.

Keywords:

• CONTRACTION
• NON-NEWTONIAN
• VELOCIMETRY
• THREE-DIMENSIONAL
• BIREFRINGENCE