Relaxation dynamics of several model A
3−A−A
3 multiarm 1,4-polybutadiene melts and
solutions are investigated experimentally using small amplitude oscillatory shear rheometry over a broad
temperature range (−90 to +26 °C). Two rubbery plateaus are identified from loss G‘ ‘(ω) minima at low
frequencies. The storage modulus in the first plateau regime is of similar magnitude to the plateau modulus
G
N0 of entangled linear 1,4-polybutadiene melts, and varies with multiarm solution concentration φpom
as G
N(φpom) = G
N0
. The second low-frequency plateau modulus G
N,
II increases with crossbar A
volume fraction φcb in nearly the manner expected for dynamics of crossbar segments in a network diluted
by relaxed arms, A (i.e., G
N,
II ≈ G
N(γpom)φcb
1+β, with β ≈ 1.3). Despite this, we find that arms exert a
profound influence on crossbar dynamics well after they have relaxed. Specifically, at solution
concentrations helow the threshold for arm entanglement, the zero-shear viscosity of multiarm solutions
vary with φpom as η0 ∼ φpom
2.9±0.2, which is slightly weaker than expected for entangled linear polymers
without contour length fluctuations. However, for these same materials the terminal time λ is found to
depend more strongly than expected on solution concentration, λ ∼ φpom
2.6±0.3. At polymer concentrations
above the threshold for arm entanglements, a transition to much stronger terminal property scalings
with solution concentration and molecular weight are observed. In particular, for arm entanglement
densities above two, the zero-shear viscosity and terminal time of multiarm solutions are exponential
functions of overall polymer molecular weight and concentration.