Switching Frontal Polymerization Mechanisms: FROMP and FRaP.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Frontal polymerization (FP) offers rapid material synthesis.
• Thermoset materials are crucial for structural applications.
• Controlling material composition and properties is key for advanced manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To combine two distinct FP mechanisms for manufacturing welded thermosets.
• To achieve gradient foams with varying composition and porosity.
• To investigate the influence of FP mechanism on material properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) of dicyclopentadiene.
• Employed frontal radical polymerization (FRaP) of benzyl acrylate and hexanediol diacrylate.
• Leveraged resin immiscibility and controlled initiation for gradient formation.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced welded thermosets and gradient foams by switching FP mechanisms.
• Demonstrated varying adhesion strengths in welded materials based on the originating FP mechanism.
• Generated thermoset foams with tunable porosity and homogeneity through bottom initiation.

Conclusions:

• The combination of FROMP and FRaP enables rapid manufacturing of advanced thermoset materials.
• Material properties like adhesion and porosity can be precisely controlled by manipulating FP mechanisms and initiation.
• This approach offers a versatile platform for creating functional gradient materials and foams.