Polymer Dynamics : Entanglements and Architectures

Location : Capri, Italy
July 26, 2011 to July 29, 2011

Organizers:

  • Ralf Everaers, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
  • Daniel Read, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
  • Giovanni Ianniruberto, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
  • Peter Olmsted, University of Leeds , United Kingdom
  • Alexei Likhtman, University of Reading, United Kingdom

The workshop is supported by:

  • CECAM
  • Dynacop Marie Curie Initial Training Network
  • Eole Normale Supérieure de Lyon
  • Centre Blaise Pascal

Description

Polymeric materials exhibit complex dynamics and rheology and, in many cases, show hierarchical relaxation over many different timescales. This in turn affects the processing and properties of the final materials. Such fluids include branched low density polyethylene, which is a fundamental material that appears in plastics of all forms. The processing of these materials, and the relation to properties, has frustrated and encouraged industry for many years: a simple recurring problem is instability in extrusion that leads to imperfect plastic parts, and with costly results. The ability to predict and control this behaviour as a function of molecular chemistry has attracted a long history of collaboration between academia and industry.

Central to the understanding of polymer melt flow is the concept of “entanglements” - the simple idea that since long macromolecules are unable to pass through one another, their dynamics are severely restricted in the melt state. This simple concept has fuelled over 40 years of theoretical and computational research into polymer melt flow, with many successes. The central framework for this has been the “tube model”, which derives from the notion that since chains cannot cross, the chains are restricted in their dynamics to a tube-like region of space: movement along the tube is allowed, but movement perpendicular to it prohibited. The general success of the tube model has, for many years, been able to disguise a problem, that no-one is really able to define (in a fundamental mathematical way) what an entanglement is! Disagreements between different exponents of the tube model often arise, and come down to different understandings of the nature of entanglements. It is also clear that some quantitative failings and lack of complete generality of the tube model can be traced to the same source. There is therefore an urgent need to set the science of entangled polymer dynamics on a more secure footing: at present this appears to require a hierarchy of modelling, and a rigorous attention to details of the coarse-graining procedure: from atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics, through simplified single-chain models known as “sliplink” models, before moving on to tube models.

The central aim of this workshop is to bring together experts in all three levels of modelling with a view towards discussing the current state in each area and proposing methods for mapping between models.

Scientific Objectives

  1. To bring together experts in molecular dynamics simulation, sliplink models and tube models, together with experimental scientists, in the field of entangled polymer dynamics.
  2. To run a 3 day workshop as a satellite event to a 7 day summer school. The workshop will focus on computational and theoretical aspects of polymer dynamics.
  3. To discuss and assess recent developments in molecular dynamics simulation, sliplink models and tube models, and to propose methods for coarse-graining by connecting all three levels of modelling.

Program

The workshop will run from the afternnon of July 26 (2pm) until lunchtime of July 29 (12noon).

  • Microscopic foundations
    • tube
    • entanglements
    • primitive paths
  • Experimental insights
    • rheology
    • dielectric spectroscopy
    • optics
    • neutron scattering
  • Beyond linear chains in linear regime
    • Non-linear viscoelasticity
    • branched polymers
  • Multiscale modelling
    • Atomistic simulations
    • Coarsegrained simulations
    • Single chain models
    • Analytical theories

References

  1. McLeish TCB ADVANCES IN PHYSICS 2002, 51, 1379-1527
  2. Everaers R, Sukumaran SK, Grest GS, Svaneborg C, Sivasubramanian A, Kremer K ; SCIENCE 2004, 303, 823-826
  3. Sukumaran SK, Likhtman AE MACROMOLECULES 2009, 42, 4300-4309
  4. Read DJ, Jagannathan K, Likhtman AE MACROMOLECULES 2008, 41, 6843-6853
  5. Likhtman AE MACROMOLECULES 2005, 38, 6128-6139

Participants

Family name First name Institution
MARTZEL NICOLAS MFPM
Likhtman Alexei University of Reading
Bacova Petra The University of The Basque Country
LIU Li Computational Biophysics University of Twente, The Netherlands
Cao Jing University of Reading
Larson Ronald Univ. of Michigan
McLeish Tom Durham University
Unidad Herwin Jerome Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Pyckhout-Hintzen Wim Research Centre Juelich/Juelich Centre for Neutron Science JCNS-1
Shchetnikava Volha TU Eindhoven
Matveichuk Oleg Eindhoven University of Technology
HOU Jixuan ENS de Lyon
lentzakis helen Forth Foundation for research and technology hellas
Lungova Marta JCNS 1, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany
ruocco nino Forschungszentrum Jülich (JCNS-1)
Amin Dipesh University Of Reading
Brás Ana Jülich Centre for Neutron Science JCNS-1 & Institute for Complex Systems (ICS-1)
Zamponi Michaela JCNS, Forschungszentrum Juelich
Agimelen Okpeafoh Stephen University of Leeds
Carsten Svaneborg University of Sutheren Denmark
Hawke Laurence University of Leeds
Wang Zuowei University of Reading
MORENO ANGEL CENTRO DE FISICA DE MATERIALES (CSIC)
Vorselaars Bart University of Reading
Shivokhin Maksim UCL (Universite Catholique de Louvain)
Huang Qian Technical University of Denmark
Samiullah Muhammad Haris Martin Luther University Halle, germany
Panagiotou Eleni National Technical University of Athens
Takimoto Jun-ichi Dept. Polymer Sci. & Engr., Yamagata University
Sukumaran Sathish K. Yamagata University
Karayiannis Nikolaos Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
Colby Ralph Penn State University
Anwar Muhammad University of Luxembourg
Rosa Angelo Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA)
Svaneborg Carsten University of Southern Denmark
Tzoumanekas Christos National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI)
Galuschko Andre Institute for Theoretical Physics / University of Göttingen
Chappa Veronica Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen
Mulayim Murat Institut für Theoretische Physik Georg-August Universität
animation/workshops/2011/polymerdynamics.txt · Dernière modification: 2015/01/07 10:04 (modification externe)