title: Viscoelasticity and primitive path analysis of entangled polymer liquids: from F-actin to polyethylene.
abstract: We combine computer simulations and scaling arguments to develop a unified view of polymer entanglement based on the primitive path analysis of the microscopic topological state. Our results agree with experimentally measured plateau moduli for three different polymer classes over a wide range of reduced polymer densities: (i) semidilute theta solutions of synthetic polymers, (ii) the corresponding dense melts above the glass transition or crystallization temperature, and (iii) solutions of semiflexible (bio)polymers such as F-actin or suspensions of rodlike viruses. Together, these systems cover the entire range from loosely to tightly entangled polymers. In particular, we argue that the primitive path analysis renormalizes a loosely to a tightly entangled system and provide a new explanation of the successful Lin-Noolandi packing conjecture for polymer melts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan. uchida@cmpt.phys.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Nariya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Grest
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Everaers
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization; D004548:Elasticity; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D020959:Polyethylene