1. Sam Edwards – Continuing the Legacy for Industry-Facing Science’… or …
‘Why don’t you join us for a conversation on the physics of margerine?’
Tom McLeish,
Soft Matter Physics and Chemistry,
Durham University, UK

4. Lesson 1: “Industry is Fortune’s Right Hand”
Its beginning?...HDPE vs. LDPE melt flow

5. Lesson 2: “If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development”.
1974
1971
1960s

6. ‘But why should they flow at all?’
Star Polymer Puzzles (Kraus, Gruver, Graessley, de Gennes)
1950s!!

8. Lesson 3: “Read, Mark, Learn” (and browse…
the scriptures)

9. Lesson 4: Love Thy Neighbour(hood chemist)..
especially when they can do polyisoprene
A. Hakiki and R. N. Young
Branched polymers relax
from outside in – e.g. H-polymer
First, the arms relax by star-like breathing modes
Then, the backbone relaxes by “reptation” – but with friction concentrated at the ends of the chain

10. Lesson 5: ‘If the person you need is in New Jersey – get on the blower
J. Rheol., 42, 1, , (1998).

11. Lesson 6: Think Big – and think Physics
Reaction Chemistry
Molecular shape
Melt Rheology
“Processing”

12. Linear rheology of arbitrarily branched polymers
Relaxation of a branched polymer
Suggests an algorithm which monitors amount of polymer relaxation as a function of (logarithmic) time
Requires a time-integration along chain-contour variables
Chains communicate via “constraint release”
Park and Larson 2005
z(t)
Das, Read
Kelmanson, TCBM, 2006

13. Statistical modelling of molecular architectures
(1) Single-site metallocenes, CSTR
Cat D UP
DOWN
Molecules are self-similar and directional!
Allows:
analytical calculations to calculate MWD, branching distribution, (e.g. D. Read, TCBM, Macromolecules 2001)
Monte-Carlo generation of representative set of molecular architectures (
C. Das et al., J. Rheol. 50, 207 (2006).

14. Industry gives back
Can then make predictions for truly polydisperse polymers
Set of Dow metallocene polyethylenes (W. De Groot) analysed by Wood-Adams and Dealy
Known bu and Mw
Two remaining adjustable parameters – matches entire dataset.
Das et al., J. Rheol., 50, 207 (2006)
Cat D UP
DOWN

15. Statistical modelling of molecular architectures (2)
LDPEs, tubular reactors
We use “Tobita algorithm” (H. Tobita, J. Polym. Sci. B, 2001)
Monte-carlo simulation of free-radical polymerisation;fundamental processes of:
initiation
chain propagation
branch formation
scission
termination by combination Ri
Rp=kp[R][m]

16. Approximate non-linear rheology: mapping to multimode pom-pom Results
Non-linear rheology now predicted with no further fitting!

17. Approximate non-linear rheology: mapping to multimode pom-pom
Tubular LDPE family: analysing how LDPE works
Segments relaxing at short, medium and long times

19. Scattering theoretical neutrons with Sam – and ICI

20. Lesson 7: Mostly say ‘yes’ to industrial opportunity
20% for critical point

21. Polyurethanes’ bicontinuous structure:
What happens to local strain at percolation?
40% hard phase
50% hard phase

22. “Strain Amplification”

23. Strain amplification threshold maps
100
101
102
103

24. A renormalisation approximation
numerics
theory

25. Lesson 8: Work with people cleverer than you
Model Parameters from linear theory: A. Likhtman, TCBM (2002)
log  [s-1]
log G‘, G‘‘ [Pa]
REPTATE.com
D. Read
Ma=25k
Mb=57k (deuterated)
Synthesis: J. Allgaier, Jülich

26. Turning neutrons towards Doi-Edwards theory

27. H-polymer melt relaxation with neutrons
=2

28. Detailed Chain Formulation (GLAMM model)
Graham, Likhtman, Milner, TCBM, J. Rheol, 47, (2003). s
R(s)
Reptation +CLF
flow CR
retraction

29. SANS total flow mapping13 11 12 8 9 10 5 6 3 4 2 1
T. Gough, J. Bent, R. Richards, N. Clarke, E. de Luca, P. Coates,

30. A New Service for Industry
Launch October 10th 2016