The effect of reactor geometry on frontal polymerization spin modes

Using reactors of different sizes and geometries the dynamics of the frontal polymerization of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETAC), with ammonium persulfate as the initiator were studied. For this system, the frontal polymerization exhibits complex behavior that depends on the ratio of the monomers. For a particular range of monomers concentration, the polymerization front becomes nonplanar, and spin modes appear. By varying the reactor diameter, we experimentally confirmed the expected shift of the system to a greater number of "hot spots" for larger diameters. For square test tubes a "zig-zag" mode was observed for the first time in frontal polymerization. We confirmed the viscosity-dependence of the spin mode instabilities. We also observed novel modes in cylinder-inside-cylinder reactors. Lastly, using a conical reactor with a continuously varying diameter, we observed what may be evidence for bistability depending on the direction of propagation. We discuss these finding in terms of the standard linear stability analysis for propagating fronts. (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Period-doubling behavior in frontal polymerization of multifunctional acrylates

Front dynamics in the frontal polymerization of two multifunctional acrylate monomers, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylate (TMPTA), with Lupersol 231 [1,1-di(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane] as the initiator, are studied. In most frontal polymerization systems, the dynamics are associated with a planar front propagating through the sample. However, in some cases, front behavior can be altered: the front becomes nonplanar characterized by complex patterns like spin modes and pulsations. To determine how these periodic and aperiodic modes arise, reactant solutions consisting of HDDA diluted with diethyl phthalate (DEP) and TMPTA diluted with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were used in the study. In the study we reveal frontal behavior characteristic of period-doubling behavior, a doubling of spin heads that degenerate into an apparently chaotic mode. Also, a pulsating symmetric mode has been observed. These observations have a striking similarity to observations made in studies of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) in which the addition of an inert diluent afforded a rich variety of dynamical behavior. The degree of cross-linking has also been found to be a bifurcation parameter. The energy of activation of multifunctional acrylate polymerization is a strong function of the degree of polymerization. By adding a monoacrylate (benzyl acrylate: BzAc), such that the front temperature was invariant, we observed a period-doubling bifurcation sequence through changes in the energy of activation, which has not been previously reported. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics.

Single-head spin modes in frontal polymerization

The single-head spin mode is the first two-dimensional pattern of self-propagating thermal reaction fronts observed after the planar front loses stability. A "hot spot" is observed to propagate around the periphery of the front. The dynamics of the single-head frontal polymerization regime were studied experimentally, and two novel results were found. The "hot spot" was measured and found to be superadiabatic. The relationship between the rotational velocity and the propagating velocity was found. Experimental data were also compared with the theoretical results based on the linear stability analysis and found to be in a reasonable agreement. (c) 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Numerical modeling of self-propagating polymerization fronts: The role of kinetics on front stability

Frontal propagation of a highly exothermic polymerization reaction in a liquid is studied with the goal of developing a mathematical model of the process. As a model case we consider monomers such as methacrylic acid and n-butyl acrylate with peroxide initiators, although the model is not limited to these reactants and can be applied to any system with the similar basic polymerization mechanism. A three-step reaction mechanism, including initiation, propagation and termination steps, as well as a more simple one-step mechanism, were considered. For the one-step mechanism the loss of stability of propagating front was observed as a sequence of period doubling bifurcations of the front velocity. It was shown that the one-step model cannot account for less than 100% conversion and product inhomogeneities as a result of front instability, therefore the three-step mechanism was exploited. The phenomenon of superadiabatic combustion temperature was observed beyond the Hopf bifurcation point for both kinetic schemes and supported by the experimental measurements. One- and two-dimensional numerical simulations were performed to observe various planar and nonplanar periodic modes, and the results for different kinetic schemes were compared. It was found that stability of the frontal mode for a one-step reaction mechanism does not differ for 1-D and 2-D cases. For the three-step reaction mechanism 2-D solutions turned out to be more stable with respect to the appearance of nonplanar periodic modes than corresponding 1-D solutions. Higher Zeldovich numbers (i.e., higher effective activation energies or lower initial temperatures) are necessary for the existence of planar and nonplanar periodic modes in the 2-D reactor with walls than in the 1-D case. (c) 1997 American Institute of Physics.

Infinite period and Hopf bifurcations for the pH-regulated oscillations in a semibatch reactor (H(2)O(2)-Cu(2+)-S(2)O(2-) (3)-NaOH system)

Dynamic behavior of the pH-regulated oscillations has been studied for the hydrogen peroxide oxidation of thiosulfate ions in the presence of trace amounts of copper(II) ions in a semibatch reactor. A solution of 0.08 M Na(2)S(2)O(3) and 0.112 M NaOH was flowed at 0.160 mL/min into 300 mL of solution containing the H(2)O(2) and Cu(2+) in a vessel. There exists a critical value of the H(2)O(2) or Cu(2+) concentrations below which the system does not oscillate. The oscillations appear due to an infinite period bifurcation at low initial concentrations of the H(2)O(2). The initial concentration of Cu(2+) may be considered as a bifurcation parameter in this case. Increase of the initial hydrogen peroxide concentration causes the pH-regulated oscillations through a nondegenerate supercritical Hopf bifurcation. The classification of bifurcations is based on the analysis of the behavior of oscillation amplitude and period at different initial concentrations of the H(2)O(2) and Cu(2+). Our results show a possibility to distinguish different scenarios for the appearance of transient oscillations in semibatch experiments. (c) 1996 American Institute of Physics.