The strong coupling of mechanical and thermal effects in polymer processing flows has profound implications on both the processability and final properties of polymeric materials. Simple molecular arguments suggest that Fourier’s law must be generalized to allow for anisotropic thermal conductivity in flowing polymer melts. In addition, theoretical results suggest a linear relationship between the thermal conductivity tensor and stress tensor, or a stress-thermal rule. Using a novel optical method based on Forced Rayleigh Scattering (FRS) developed in our laboratory, we obtain quantitative measurements of all components of the thermal diffusivity tensor in polymers subjected to deformation. These data have been used to carry out the first (and only) tests of the stress-thermal rule, which we have found to be valid for several polymer chemistries in both shear and elongational deformations. More recently, we have developed a novel technique based on Infrared Thermography (IRT) that complements FRS, and allows for the study of a wider range of polymeric materials. These experiments are used to develop an understanding of the molecular origins of thermal transport in deforming polymers.

BRIEF ACADEMIC/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

 David C. Venerus is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering and Director of the Materials Engineering Program at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).  Professor Venerus received his B.S. degree from the University of Rhode Island and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees (all in chemical engineering ) from Penn State University. Prior to coming to NJIT in the fall of 2018, he was on the faculty in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago from 1989.  He has several times been a visiting professor in the Department of Materials at the ETH Zuerich and in the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.

MOST RECENT RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Transport phenomena in soft matter, the rheology of complex fluids, and the theory of interfacial transport phenomena and its applications.