SELF-ORGANIZATION IN DRY PHOTOPOLYMERIZED ACRYLATE FILMS .1. IRREVERSIBLE THERMODYNAMICS ANALYSIS

Space and time instabilities can appear as very general phenomena at t he surface of liquid or viscous films submitted to constraints. In the case of dry photopolymerized acrylate films, the surface relief at th e monomer-polymer interface is examined within the framework of theori es of irreversible process thermodynamics. A classical model as a func tion of time is adapted for linear behaviour for reaction and diffusio n at the surface. This approach places the surface modification, irres pective of the medium in contact with the acrylate film, in a general thermodynamic sense of hydrodynamic instability, where marginal states are involved, and permits a prevision of the stability to be envisage d. A numerical application is proposed.