Visualization of the photopolymerization front in poly(acrylamide) gels

The process of gel formation in the course of the photoinitiated copolymeri zation of acrylamide and N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide under the conditions excluding convective motions in the reaction mixture was studied. Using op tical methods it is possible to visualize distribution of the monomer conve rsion in the course of the reaction and determine the character of the poly merization front propagation. A comparison of the experimental results with data on the photopolymerization under microgravity conditions and the resu lts of analytical calculations for a stationary medium shows that this expe rimental approach is promising for the investigation of frontal processes u nder laboratory conditions.