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We use dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations to study the effect ofshear on domain morphology and kinetics of microphase separating criticaldiblock copolymer (BCP) bulk melts. The melt is confined within two parallelsolid walls at the top and bottom of the simulation box. The shear is inducedby allowing the walls to move in a direction with a specific velocity. Weexplore the following cases: (i) walls are fixed, (ii) only the top wall moves,(iii) both walls move in the same direction, and (iv) both walls move inopposite directions. After the temperature quench, we monitor the effect ofshear on evolution morphology, the scaling behavior of the system, and thecharacteristic length scale and growth. The characteristic length scale followstypical power-law behavior at early times and saturates at late times when bothwalls are fixed. The length scale changes significantly with shear caused bywall velocities. The usual lamellar morphology, which is not achieved for case1 within the considered simulation time steps, is noticed much earlier for thenonzero wall velocity cases. Specifically, it is seen much before in case 4than in the other cases. We find that the shear viscosity decreases(shear-thinning) with wall velocity (shear rate) for all the cases at a givencoarsening time. Overall, we report the influence rule of shear rates onmicrophase separation kinetics of BCP melts. This study can provide a scheme toanticipate and design anisotropic microstructures under the application ofexternally controlled wall shear that may further guide in producing thevarious composite materials with superior mechanical and physical properties.

Phase separation kinetics of block copolymer melts confined under moving parallel walls: a DPD study