The compressive flow of viscoelastic materials between two parallel flat disks under a constant load has been

investigated analytically, numerically, and experimentally. This process simulates a number of compression
molding and lubrication experiments; the purpose of our study was to assess the effects of fluid viscoelasticity
and of temperature gradients in these applications. A dimensionless group has been found very useful for
determining the flow regimes when there exists a substantial transverse viscosity gradient in the fluid charge,
such as in the nonisothermal compression molding processes. Compressive flow of linear viscoelastic
materials has been analyzed analytically. It shows that the squeezing motion becomes oscillatory when the
ratio of the Deborah number to the Reynolds number is larger than a critical value, and that the linear
viscoelastic materials are squeezed faster than the corresponding Newtonian cases. Compressive flow of
various non-linear model fluids has also