Viscoelastic Modelling of Polymer Melts and Rubber Compounds

Thermoplastic melts and rubber compounds are viscoelastic fluids. They show a complex flow behavior, which is influenced by various factors such as polymer type, molar mass distribution, recipe, filler-filler network and in some cases wall slippage. Most of the state-of-the-art simulation software packages use viscous material models for the calculation of the flow field as well as pressure and temperature distribution, neglecting the viscoelastic nature of polymers. This simplification may lead to an underestimated pressure demand in injection molding simulation.