Rheology of entangled polymeric liquids: Current molecular pictures and problems

Abstract

Prominent viscoelasticity emerges in entangled polymeric liquids composed of long, flexible polymer chains exhibiting active thermal motion. In attempt of establishing a molecular picture of the entanglement dynamics, extensive theoretical and experimental efforts have been made over several decades. This article summarizes the current picture of the equilibrium dynamics of the entangled chains and addresses some remaining problems.