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A Review of Modeling of Diffusion Controlled Polymerization Reactions
Author(s) -
Achilias Dimitris S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
macromolecular theory and simulations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-3919
pISSN - 1022-1344
DOI - 10.1002/mats.200700003
Subject(s) - polymerization , radical polymerization , polymer chemistry , epoxy , chemistry , chain transfer , curing (chemistry) , branching (polymer chemistry) , materials science , polymer science , thermodynamics , polymer , organic chemistry , physics
A plethora of models have been developed quantifying the effect of diffusion‐controlled phenomena on polymerization reactions. The most prominent approaches are reviewed here, including innovative ones that have emerged over the last decade. Free‐radical and step‐growth polymerizations are considered in a way to show that similar models have been used in both mechanisms. In free‐radical polymerization the models proposed are subdivided according to their theoretical background into four categories: (i) based on a Fickian description of reactant diffusion; (ii) free‐volume theory based; (iii) chain‐length dependent; and, (iv) empirical. The reversible addition‐fragmentation technique is discussed, together with two industrially important case‐studies, solid state polycondensation and epoxy‐amine curing.