The universal limit in dynamics of dilute polymeric solutions

The method of invariant manifold is developed for a derivation of reduced d escription in kinetic equations of dilute polymeric solutions. It is demons trated that this reduced description becomes universal in the limit of smal l Deborah and Weissenberg numbers, and it is represented by the (revised) O ldroyd 8 constants constitutive equation for the polymeric stress tensor. C oefficients of this constitutive equation are expressed in terms of the mic roscopic parameters. A. systematic procedure of corrections to the revised Oldroyd 8 constants equations is developed. Results are tested with simple flows. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.