Real-time fiber optic mid-IR monitoring

Key words real-time fiber optic mid-IR monitoring, isobutylene, styrene, p-tert-butylstyrene, living polymerization, solution polymerization, suspension polymerization... 

Puskas JE, Tzaras E, Marr G, Michel AJ. Real-time fiber optic mid-IR monitoring of solution and suspension polymerizations. Abstr Papers ACS 2001 221 U315-U315. 

Mid-IR fiber optics provides a convenient way to monitor many kinds of chemical reactions in situ and in real time. Isocyanate chemistry, both in the solution phase and in the form of urethane foams and binders, lends itself well to this approach. It is shown in this paper that the calibration of mid-IR fiber optics is simple and transferable between probes and probe heads, and that useful information about reaction rates and extent of cure can be obtained by simple peak area measurements in many cases. 

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