Ja. Pojman et al., BINARY FRONTAL POLYMERIZATION - A NEW METHOD TO PRODUCE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORKS (SINS), Journal of polymer science. Part A, Polymer chemistry, 35(2), 1997, pp. 227-230
We report a new method for the preparation of a simultaneous interpene
trating polymer network (SIN) using a thermal propagating front of two
independent and noninterfering polymerization mechanisms. The system
consists of the free radical crosslinking of triethylene glycol dimeth
acrylate (TGDMA) and the amine/BCl3 . amine curing of diglycidyl ether
of bisphenol A (DGEBA). The front Velocity dependence on the percenta
ge of each monomer shows a minimum at 45% TGDMA. Temperature profile m
easurements indicate that a single reaction front propagates. A colore
d opaque material is produced, but SEM and TEM analysis were inconclus
ive whether phase separation occurred. Samples as large as 5 cm in dia
meter were prepared with this method. We conclude that this method sho
uld be especially suited for preparing large samples of IPNs in which
significant phase separation occurs. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.