Polymer architecture influence on rheology

The past two years have seen considerable advances in the important challenge of the relationship between polymer chain architecture and melt rheology. The promise of new polymerisation catalysts offering greater control over molecular structure in industrial quantities has given the field greater impetus. Important work in the parallel areas of commercial grade polymers, tailored model polymers and molecular theory has led to a quantitative understanding of linear rheology in some cases, and the promise of at least a qualitative understanding of the puzzling but important behaviour of branched polymers under nonlinear deformations.