Impact of Boundary Heat Losses on Frontal Polymerization

Considered as a faster and energy-efficient alternative to conventional manufacturing techniques for thermosetting polymers and composites, frontal polymerization (FP) is built on a thermal equilibrium between the heat generated by the exothermic reaction of the resin system and the heat consumed by the advancing front. However, a heat loss to the surrounding may disrupt this thermal equilibrium and slow down and possibly quench the front. This paper investigates the impact of two types of heat loss to the surrounding on the key characteristics (propagation speed and maximum temperature) of the polymerization front: convective heat loss along the boundary of the reaction channel and contact heat loss at channel-tool plate interfaces. The analysis is performed numerically using a nonlinear, adaptive fully coupled finite element solver.