Self-Assembly of Synthetic and Biological Polymeric Systems of ...
Self-Assembly of Synthetic and Biological Polymeric Systems of ...
Self-Assembly of Synthetic and Biological Polymeric Systems of ...
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2.9.- Rheology<br />
Rheology involves the study <strong>of</strong> the deformation <strong>and</strong> flow <strong>of</strong> matter due to compressive<br />
stresses acting on a material. Particularly, it refers to the behaviour <strong>of</strong> materials when a<br />
mechanical force is applied on. Rheology includes three main concepts such as force,<br />
deformation <strong>and</strong> time. Irreversible flows, reversible elastic deformations or their combination<br />
(viscoelasticity) can, therefore, model <strong>and</strong> describe a rheological phenomenon under certain<br />
assumptions. The type <strong>of</strong> deformation depends on the state <strong>of</strong> matter; for example, gases <strong>and</strong><br />
liquids will flow when a force is applied, whilst solids will deform by a fixed amount <strong>and</strong>, then,<br />
back to their original shape when the force is removed. In the case <strong>of</strong> polymers, the rheological<br />
<strong>and</strong> mechanical properties affect the polymers molecular properties, such as their molecular<br />
weight, molecular weight distribution, conformation, architecture <strong>and</strong> crystallinity (49)(50).<br />
Figure2.20 Schematic diagram <strong>of</strong> basic tool geometries for a rotational rheometer: a)<br />
concentric cylinder, b) cone <strong>and</strong> plate, c) parallel plate (50).<br />
A typical rheometer measures the velocity <strong>of</strong> displacement <strong>of</strong> the moving surface <strong>and</strong> the<br />
force exerted on one <strong>of</strong> the surfaces. Most rheometers are based on rotary motion <strong>and</strong> use<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the three following geometries (Figure 2.20): concentric cylinder, cone <strong>and</strong> plate, <strong>and</strong><br />
parallel disk. In most cases the same rotary instrument can use all three <strong>of</strong> these flow<br />
geometries. To generate the needed motion, they typically use actuators like a hydraulic<br />
piston or ball screws found in st<strong>and</strong>ard tensile testing machines for solids. Solenoids or other<br />
electromechanical actuator are <strong>of</strong>ten used for small amplitudes <strong>and</strong> low forces. There are two<br />
basic designs <strong>of</strong> rheometers: controlled stress ones, where the stress is applied electrically via<br />
a motor measuring the strain; <strong>and</strong> controlled strain instruments, in which a strain is imposed<br />
<strong>and</strong> the stress is computed from the deformation <strong>of</strong> a calibrated spring system (50).<br />
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