Emission modeling of styrene from vinyl ester resins with low hazardous air pollutant contents

Abstract

Styrene is a commonly used co-monomer in vinyl ester (VE) resins, which acts as a reactive diluent and is required in most liquid molding fabrication methods to reduce viscosity and improve overall resin performance. Resins containing low hazardous air pollutant contents have been developed to reduce the styrene emissions during composite fabrication. VE monomers with a bimodal molecular weight distribution have been used to effectively decrease the amount of styrene in the system while maintaining low resin viscosities. Fatty acid vinyl ester (FAVE) resins partially replace styrene with non-volatile fatty acid monomers to reduce styrene emissions. The emissions from bimodal and FAVE resins were measured as a function of time and various parameters, including styrene content, VE molecular weight, and fatty acid monomer content and chain length. The initial emission rate from VE resins is only dependent on styrene content for constant evaporation geometry. Furthermore, the evaporation rate constant was the same regardless of VE molecular weight, styrene content, or the use of co-reactive diluent (MFA monomers). The diffusivity was not dependent on the styrene content in the resin, but decreased linearly as the VE molecular weight increased because of a corresponding increase in the resin viscosity. The diffusivity also increased as the content of MFA increased because of a decrease in the resin viscosity with high MFA content at high emission time. Furthermore, the emission profiles were accurately modeled using a modified version of 1D diffusion through a planar sheet that accounts for the depth change as a function of styrene evaporation. Overall, the model predicted emission profiles similar to the experimentally measured profiles as a function of time for various styrene contents, VE molecular weights, and fatty acid monomer contents.