Modeling of polymer flow near solid walls

The subject of the present work is the modeling of a polymer flow near a solid wall. Its ultimate goal is to develop a consistent mathematical formalism which is able to describe correctly the real mechanics of the melt, such as entanglements between different polymers and chain connectivity. The model should provide an adequate mathematical representation of all the major physical processes inherent to polymer chains in the melt, such as convection, retraction, reptation, and constraint release. Finally, it must be able to reproduce quantitatively available experimental data, provided that the necessary molecular parameters and processing conditions are known. A successful model for polymer melt flow will allow us to understand the mechanics of extrusion instabilities, and perhaps suggest a way to eliminate them.