Practical microwave curing studies for undergraduates

Abstract

Microwave curing has recently generated interest as an alternative to the conventional thermal curing of polymers. Advantages of the microwave process over the thermal method include faster curing times, improved efficiency of curing, and enhanced properties of the polymers. This paper describes an undergraduate polymer chemistry experiment utilizing a domestic microwave oven for the curing of methyl methacrylate. Thermal curing was also carried out as a comparative study. The percentage conversions at fixed time intervals using both processes were determined using FTIR spectroscopy. Results show that the percentage conversions using the thermal method increased slowly over the 18min reaction time. However, there was a significant increase in the rate of polymerization at the end the same reaction period using the microwave method, equivalent to 3.5 times that of the thermal method. This experiment successfully demonstrates that microwave method is not only a safe but also a reliable and faster alternative to the thermal method of curing some polymers. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.