Influence of shrinkage of polymer on the stationarity of propagation of frontal polymerization heat waves

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this work was to study the causes of the formation of nonlinear and spin modes in the process of frontal polymerization (FP). The latter is an autowave process of the propagation of polymerization heat waves, and is a nontraditional method for the synthesis of various polymers and polymeric composites. Monomers of metal-complexes of acrylamide with and without additions of inert and nano-fillers were chosen as objects of study. Research data on dilatometric analysis, as well as on kinetics and macrokinetics of the polymerization processes of the monomers in frontal mode are presented. On the basis of the results obtained, a conclusion was drawn on the stability loss and transition boundary from a stationary mode to nonstationary one during FP. It was shown that, during the polymerization processes, shrinkage of the resulting polymer composites occurs, commensurate with the phase of the heat wave oscillations, which disturbs the propagating heat waves from layer to layer and violates the stationarity of the process. This, in turn, results in the formation of spin-like rings and a nonstationary mode of FP.