Polymers are large molecules composed of many repeated subunits called monomers. The length of the molecular chains and the entanglements between them are crucial for the properties of the material. Many relevant polymer properties can be characterized using rheological tests. Describing these properties requires diverse testing procedures in order to obtain the desired information.
Polymers show complex rheological behavior which needs to be considered when using or producing these kinds of materials, like the viscosity of the melt, flow behavior, viscoelastic properties, temperature-dependent behavior, glass transition temperature, aging behavior, etc. Various tests and analysis methods are employed to optimize the polymer properties until they meet all requirements.