Monomer polyfunctional

Theoretical calculations to predict the conversions at which gelation of polyfunctional monomers occur are reviewed in reference 40. The gelations of DAP, DAIP, and diallyl terephthalate (DATP) near 25% conversion are Httle affected by conditions and are much higher than predicted. 

Thermoplastics are the largest class of engineering polymer. They have linear molecules they are not cross-linked, and for that reason they soften when heated, allowing them to be formed (ways of doing this are described in Chapter 24). Monomers which form linear chains have two active bonds (they are bifunctional). A molecule with only one active bond can act as a chain terminator, but it cannot form a link in a chain. Monomers with three or more active sites (polyfunctional monomers) form networks they are the basis of thermosetting polymers, or resins. 

The influence of polyfunctional monomers—tripropyleneglycol diacrylate (TPGDA), TMPTA, TMPTMA, TMMT, and TAG on the stmctural changes of fluorocarbon terpolymer poly(vinylide-nefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) has been investigated [425]. The ATR-IR studies show that the absorbance due to the double bond at 1632 cm decreases both in the... 

Derivation of the Molecular Distribution for the Random Condensation of Bifunctional with Pol3ffunctional Monomers. —Let a bifunctional monomer A----- A condense with a polyfunctional monomer... 

Monomers that participate in step growth polymerization may contain more or fewer than two functional groups. Difunctional monomers create linear polymers. Trifiinctional or polyfunctional monomers introduce branches which may lead to crosslinking when they are present in sufficiently high concentrations. Monofunctional monomers terminate polymerization by capping off the reactive end of the chain. Figure 2.12 illustrates the effect of functionality on molecular structure. 

Traditionally, we create thermoset polymers during step growth polymerization by adding sufficient levels of a polyfunctional monomer to the reaction mixture so that an interconnected network can form. An example of a network formed from trifimctional monomers is shown in Fig. 2.12b). Each of the functional groups can react with compatible functional groups on monomers, dimers, trimers, oligomers, and polymers to create a three-dimensional network of polymer chains. 

Chemical Crosslinking. Only linear polymers are produced from bifunctional monomers. The reaction system must include a polyfunctional monomer, i.e., a monomer containing 3 or more functional groups per molecule, in order to produce a crosslinked polymer. However, the polyfunctional reactant and/or reaction conditions must be chosen such that crosslinking does not occur during polymerization but is delayed until the fabrication step. This objective is met differently depending on whether the synthesis involves a chain or step polymerization. In the typical... 

The properties of a polymer network depend not only on the molar masses, functionalities, chain structures, and proportions of reactants used to prepare the network but also on the conditions (concentration and temperature) of preparation. In the Gaussian sense, the perfect network can never be obtained in practice, but, through random or condensation polymerisations(T) of polyfunctional monomers and prepolymers, networks with imperfections which are to some extent quantifiable can be prepared, and the importance of such imperfections on network properties can be ascertained. In this context, the use of well-characterised random polymerisations for network preparation may be contrasted with the more traditional method of cross-linking polymer chains. With the latter, uncertainties can exist with regard to the... 

The crosslinking efficiency of many peroxide-initiated free radicals is low. These labile radicals can be converted to more stable radicals by contact in situ with polyfunctional monomers to form a three-dimensional network. Crosslinking efficiency is thus increased by some 20%. In addition, these materials act as plasticisers during processing and in some cases also act as hardening agents. 

The formation of the hydrogen bond between hydroperoxide and polar monomer, for example, methyl acrylate or acrylonitrile, does not influence the rate constant of the reaction of hydroperoxide with the double bond of monomer [101]. The values of the rate constants of the reaction of hydroperoxide with olefins are given in Table 4.13. The effect of multidipole interaction was observed for reactions of hydroperoxide with polyfunctional monomers (see Table 4.14, Ais the Gibbs energy of multidipole interaction in the transition state). 

Since each acrylate group is difunctional, the diacrylates are tetrafunctional while the triacrylates are hexafunctional. For polymerization ofthe polyfunctional monomers at sufficiently high degrees of conversion, the branching must result in the formation of cross-links to give a three-dimensional network. 

Modelization of the System. Theoretical treatment of polyfunctional monomers condensation polymerization has been firstly proposed by Flory and Stockmayer (22.23 and later by Gordon, Bruneau, Macosko and others (24-26. These theories lay out the basic relation between extent of reaction and average molecular weight of the resulting non linear polymers. 

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