Rheology as a Tool for the Investigation of Structures of Polymeric Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Rheological properties of polymer melts have been widely applied to optimize processing operations. Less frequently used is the potential of rheology as a tool to support the structure analysis of polymeric materials. This Special Issue of Polymers intends to contribute to this field by bringing together existing knowledge and new insights. Measurements of the viscous and elastic behavior and thermorheological properties will be discussed with respect to molar mass, molar mass distribution, and branching, in particular. Moreover, their potential for following up degradation and crosslinking processes is a topic of interest for reaction kinetics and polymer applications. Furthermore, the structural aspects underlying the reversible property changes due to strong mechanical pretreatments–the so-called refinement effect–are still a matter of research. Contributions of rheological investigations to the development of crystalline structures in a melt as found for polyvinylchloride or polycarbonate, for example, and to the formation of agglomerates in heterogeneous polymers like particle-filled systems and polymer blends, are other challenging topics that are welcomed in this issue.

Prof. Dr. Helmut Münstedt
Guest Editor

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