Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment - II

SHERE-II investigation involves a non-Newtonian fluid that will undergo preshearing (rotation) for a specified period of time, followed by stretching. This combination of shearing and extensional deformations is common in many earth-based polymer processing and manufacturing operations such as extrusion, blow-molding and fiber spinning. However, in order to accurately predict the flow behaviour of polymeric fluids under such deformation histories, an accurate knowledge of the extensional viscosity of a polymer system and its variation with strain rate is critical and will be measured during this experiment. The fundamental understanding and measurement of these complex fluids is important for containerless processing, a key operation for fabrication of parts, such as adhesives or fillers, using elastomeric materials on future exploration missions.