What is RheoMWD?

It is well known that the rheological properties of polymer melts depend strongly on the molecular structure (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, and long chain branching). RHEOMWD is a program which deals with the inverse problem of determining MWD from rheological data. This inverse problem is mathematically ill-posed and extremely difficult.

What methods does RheoMWD use to estimate polydispersity?

RheoMWD contains two methods that can be used to estimate the polydispersity of a sample. The first estimates the polydispersity index M_W/M_N from viscosity versus shear rate data. The second computes the values of four different polydispersity measures from frequency response data in the linear viscoelastic region. These measures are: Crossover Point Index, Dow Rheology Index, High Elasticity Index, and Global Distribution Index.

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References

G.V. Gordon and M.T. Shaw, Computer Programs for Rheologists, Carl Hanser Verlag (1994).