In this work, the die drool phenomenon analysis has been performed for HDPE polymer melt by using a specific type of experimental set-up, digital image analysis technique and rheological tools. It has been revealed that the thermally induced degradation occurring inside the processing equipment may lead to HDPE melt elasticity enhancement, which promotes unwanted material accumulation at the end of the extrusion die. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.