AbstractThe melting of solids under shear conditions is an important operation in the processing of most thermoplastics. In this study, solid blocks of high density polyethylene were melted on a hot, moving surface over a range of surface temperatures and velocities. The conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy were applied to the molten layer and then simplified by an order of magnitude analysis. A general model that included all significant terms gave rates of melting that agreed closely with the measured rates. A simpler model that was analogous to present extruder models predicted melting rates that were ten to twenty‐five percent lower than the experimental values. Models for polymers with low to moderate crystallinity should be modified to account for physical removal of amorphous material by shear force