Slip-link Simulations under Fast Flows: Effect of the Stretch/Orientation-Induced Reduction of Friction

Macroscopic flows of entangled polymer melts are tightly connected with the microscopic polymer chain dynamics. One possible solution to this problem could be obtained with a multiscale simulation (MSS) approach, where a microscopic model is combined with a macroscopic model. To develop the MSS technique that can address polymer processing conditions, we need to develop a microscopic model that can correctly predict rheological behaviors under fast flows. However, the molecular mechanisms of entangled polymer chains under fast flows have not been fully understood. Yaoita et al. have introduced the concept of the stretch/orientation-induced reduction of molecular friction (SORF) to their slip-link (SL) model and found that SORF can improve the predictions of rheological behaviors under fast uniaxial elongational flows [Yaoita et al., 2012]. In this study, we have investigated the effect of SORF on the more coarse-grained SL model [Doi et al., 2003]. As a result, we have found that SORF can improve the rheological properties obtained from our SL model especially under uniaxial elongational flows. This result will help us to develop the MSS technique for fast entangled polymer melt flows.