Rheology and Fluid Mechanics

A core focus of the Alvarez Research Group is in the area of extensional rheology of polymer melts. During Alvarez’s tenure at the Technical University of Denmark, he used this expertise to develop a commercial filament stretching rheometer, the VADER 1000, to measure polymer melts and solution in uniaxial flow. As he has continued this work at Drexel, his students have contributed to the fundamental understanding of key relationships, like the relationship between the number of associations, association strength, and number of entanglements on the extensional viscosity of associating polymers. The Alvarez Research Group’s rheology expertise allows us to advise other groups on which measurements are appropriate for a given sample, design extensional measurements, critically assess and analyze experimental data, interpret experimental data in the framework of polymer physics, and apply these principles and practices in development of novel approaches in academic research and/or industrial practice. 

To see specific projects or publications related to our work in extensional rheology, shear rheology, and polymer dynamics, continue scrolling down this page.