Bubble Behavior in Frontal Polymerization: Results From KC-135 Parabolic Flights

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-14-2001

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

Frontal polymerization is a mode of converting monomer into polymer via a localized exothermic reaction zone that propagates through the coupling of thermal diffusion and the Arrhenius reaction kinetics of an exothermic polymerization. Studies were carried out aboard the NASA KC-135 aircraft to determine the effects of gravity on the interactions of bubbles with descending polymerization fronts with monofunctional and difunctional acrylates. The absence of buoyancy allowed bubbles to grow larger ahead of fronts of diacrylate polymerization. Bubbles formed in thermoplastic fronts appeared to aggregate and form periodic patterns behind the fronts but the poor quality and short duration of the low gravity precludes definitive conclusions about the mechanism.

Publication Title

ACS Symposium Series

Volume

793

First Page

112

Last Page

125

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