Polymers must go through processes that transform raw materials in a final product for consumption, and therefore it is crucial to understand how their rheological properties affect processability and final product quality. This study is aimed at applying the birefringence technique to differentiate two grades of general purpose polystyrene. Flow experiments were carried out using a multi-pass rheometer and flow-induced birefringence images and pressure profile were obtained. It was possible to distinguish between the different materials by examining their birefringence patterns. The flow of the higher molecular weight sample is more complex, with higher birefringence and tension. These data are important for the rheological characterization of the material and can be used in the validation of constitutive models in computational fluid dynamics.
Birefringence; multipass rheometer; polystyrene
