Rheological simulation of liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) at high shear rates

The rigid and rod like molecules of Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs) orientate in different ways at different shear rates. Under low shear rate, the molecules tend to align in the direction of the flow as well as tumble around their own axis. The abnormal orientation of molecules also depends upon temperature. These behaviours lead to unusual rheological properties of LCPs. But with the increase of shear rate, the molecules are oriented in the direction of flow. The molecular orientation at high shear rate is considered as anisotropic flow. Recently developed Leonov's constitutive theory of weakly viscoelastic nematodynamics has been considered as the standard local approach of thermodynamics to describe the rheological properties of LCPs. The complicated rheological properties and characteristic anisotropic properties of LCPs are modeled by a set of quasi-linear viscoselastic constitutive equation. Simulation has been carried out in Mathematica software and the characteristic anisotropic properties of LCPs have been identified at low and high shear rates. The experimentally measured viscosities at high shear rate have been validated with model predictions