The Effect of a Trithiol and Inorganic Fillers on the Photo-Induced Thermal Frontal Polymerization of a Triacrylate

Thermal frontal polymerization is a process in which a localized reaction propagates through an unstirred system by the coupling of the thermal diffusion and the Arrhenius kinetics of an exothermic polymerization. A trithiol was found to affect the front velocity and the time for inducing a front upon exposure to UV light for trimethylolpropane triacrylate polymerization fronts with either kaolin or calcium carbonate filler present. The addition of trithiol and filler both decreased the front velocity. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 8091-8096, 2008