Mathematical modeling of interfacial gel polymerization

Frontal Polymerization (FP) is a process in which a spatially localized rea ction zone propagates into a monomer converting it into a polymer. Two type s of frontal polymerization processes have been observed experimentally. On e is exothermic FP, which occurs due to diffusion of heat released in the p olymerization reactions and which we have previously studied. The other is an isothermal FP process, also referred to its interfacial gel polymerizati on, which is due to mass diffusion of the species coupled with the gel effe ct. We propose and study a model of interfacial gel polymerization. We dete rmine, both numerically and analytically, important characteristics of the process including the time-dependent propagation velocity of the reaction z one, the structure of the wave, and the distance traveled by the front befo re it breaks down due to reactions ahead of the front. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd. All rights reserved.