Premium
Thermal catalytic polymerization of mortars impregnated with styrene‐acrylonitrile
Author(s) -
Gadalla Ahmed M.,
ElDerini Mohamed E.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760241605
Subject(s) - materials science , polymerization , comonomer , composite material , monomer , ultimate tensile strength , polymer , precipitation polymerization , compressive strength , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , radical polymerization , engineering
Standard test specimens of mortar were cured under water for 15 days to achieve satisfactory strength. They were dried without allowing dehydration reactions to occur, evacuated to 40 millimeters (mm) Hg, and impregnated with a styreneacrylonitrile comonomer, which gives the highest strength after polymerization. Positive pressure of 0.6 N/mm 2 was applied and thermal catalytic polymerization was carried out. Optimum initiator concentration was found to be 2 percent. Strength (compressive and tensile) increases with polymerization temperature up to 120°C, above which rapid deterioration occurs due to monomer loss, production of short chains with high polymerization rates, and the possibility of polymer degradation at high temperature. Optimum polymerization period of' 10 hours was selected. Inexpensive methods for field polymerization were tried at 95°C. Hot water yields a strength more than double that obtained with a, flow of hot air and about 80 percent of that obtained radiolytically. While hot air accelerates evaporation, hot water forms a hydraulic head above the capillaries and decreases the monomer losses tremendously.