Rupture of entangled polymeric liquids in elongational flow with dissipation

The scaling theory for rupture of entangled polymeric liquids, which is based on a critical recoverable strain [Joshi, Y.M., and M. M. Denn, J. Rheol. 47, 291-298 (2003)], is extended to include the viscoelastic regime, where the total strain at rupture is a decreasing function of the elongation rate. Rupture can be predicted in both the viscoelastic and rubbery regimes using the scaling theory together with a constitutive equation for the stress in the entangled liquid. The scaling theory with the Wagner model captures the essential features of the available experimental data, and the quantitative agreement is reasonable. (C) 2004 The Society of Rheology.