Fiber Spinning with Molecular Models

Abstract The isothermal fiber spinning of ciscoelastic liquid is analyzed successfully by means of the Curtiss-Bird integral constitutive equation derived from molecular theory, Glaerkin/finite element method, and Newton iteration. The analysis accounts for shear and elongational prehistories, and specified draw ratio or drawing force. Solutions are obtained at high values of elasticity, draw ratio and drawing force. The predictions agree with the analytic solution for Newtonian liquid in the limit of zero relaxation time and with experimental data from the literature on spinning of polystyrene and polypropylene melts.