m Mostafaiyan - Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany . Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
g Heinrich - Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany . Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
s Wiessner - Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany . Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
h.a Khonakdar - Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany

The flow field in a converging channel was calculated with a finite element code and the extent of the mixing estimated by the use of the mean strain function with numerical integration. The rheological behavior of the fluid was assumed to obey the power law model to incorporate the shear thinning behavior of the polymeric melts. Also, an approximate analytic expression was purposed to simplify the correlation of the involved parameters and mean strain function.

FEM, mean strain function, mixing