Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The equipment to be purchased is a computer-controlled 500 Hz pulsed-laser system used with XeF premix laser gas to provide energy at a wavelength of 351 nm. It can be used to excite photoinitiator at pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz, essential for the fundamental studies of radical polymerization kinetics at higher temperature. Over a third of synthetic polymers are produced via radical polymerization, with products ranging from high volume materials such as low density polyethylene and polystyrene to medium and high value products such as solvent-borne automotive coatings and water soluble polymers for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Complex kinetics and the difficulty in analyzing polymer microstructure, however, have meant that fundamental understanding of these processes is still lacking. The impetus for improved knowledge continues as processes evolve in response to market demands and environmental concerns. Our research fills this gap by applying specialized pulsed-laser techniques with advanced polymer characterization to measure key rate coefficients not accessible through standard experimentation. The purchase of the proposed 500 Hz laser will allow us to study polymerization kinetics of acrylates and water-soluble monomers at higher temperatures, and determine and model the effect of hydrogen bonding on the copolymerization kinetics and copolymer microstructure of these materials used in the coatings, adhesives, and pharmaceutical industries. This research will enable new manufacturing processes and operating strategies to reduce production costs and environmental impact of these materials, as well as reduce the experimentation required to bring new materials to market. In addition, it will train graduate students in expertise important to the Canadian polymers industries, and expose undergraduate students to practical reaction engineering issues.