Kinetics of acrylic films photopolymerization through analysis of the thermal curve

Kinetic curves of polymerization were obtained through a photocalorimetric device that allows thermal measurements on flat films of controlled thickness of oligomers based on bis-phenol-A-diglycidyl-ether diacrylate. The temperature of the film was monitored during the ultraviolet irradiation under controlled conditions and the resulting thermal curve was processed by a suitable thermokinetic model based on the balance between the internal energy generation and the heat flow at the surfaces. The kinetic behavior of the acrylic group polymerization agrees with the kinetics followed by Fourier transform infrared analysis and fulfills the kinetic behavior expected for a photopolymerization process under steady state conditions. The proposed technique should be a suitable method to study in real time the reactivity of ultraviolet crosslinkable films in different condition of process. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.