Polymer conformations and hysteretic stresses in nonstationary flows of polymer solutions

Nicolas François (1) , Yacine Amarouchene (1) , Brahim Lounis (1) , Hamid Kellay (1)

1 CPMOH - Centre de physique moléculaire optique et hertzienne

The low Reynolds number flow of a polymer solution around a cylinder engenders a nonlinear drag force vs. the flow velocity. A velocity quench of such a flow gives rise to a long time relaxation and hysteresis of the stress due to history-dependent elastic effects. Our results suggest that such hysteretic behavior has its origin in the long time relaxation dynamics and hysteresis of the polymer conformations.

Domaines: Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]; Dynamique des Fluides [physics.flu-dyn]

Nicolas François, Yacine Amarouchene, Brahim Lounis, Hamid Kellay. Polymer conformations and hysteretic stresses in nonstationary flows of polymer solutions. EPL - Europhysics Letters, 2009, 86 (3), pp.34002. ⟨10.1209/0295-5075/86/34002⟩. ⟨hal-00506110⟩