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Microwave‐Assisted Ring‐Opening Polymerization of D , L ‐Lactide: A Probe for the Nonexistence of Nonthermal Microwave Effects
Author(s) -
Ramier Julien,
Renard Estelle,
Grande Daniel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.201200008
Subject(s) - microwave , polymerization , polymer chemistry , chemistry , kinetics , materials science , dielectric heating , microwave heating , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemical engineering , polymer , composite material , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Ring‐opening polymerization of D , L ‐lactide is critically reevaluated under both microwave dielectric heating and conventional conduction/convection heating in order to probe the nonexistence of “nonthermal” microwave effects. All experiments are conducted in toluene by resorting to a fiber‐optic sensor that allows for accurate internal reaction temperature measurements. For a given temperature, the results obtained either with a “temperature control” microwave heating mode or with a “power control” procedure can well be reproduced through conventional thermal heating. Microwave irradiation does not induce any alteration of the polymerization kinetics or “livingness”, clearly demonstrating the absence of any specific “nonthermal” effect in the microwave‐assisted process.