Price: 10.00
INTRODUCTION
Acrylate oligomers and monomers are very reactive as a class of materials.
Because of this reactivity there is apossibility of serious consequences if these materials
are improperly stored or handled. Unfortunately, very little information is available on
the behavior of these specific materials. The purpose of this study was to perform a broad
survey of the materials in question in order to provide information on how they behave
under adverse conditions.
In an attempt to identify hazards associated with the release of vapors from an
unintentional gelation of acrylated materials, selected products were exposed to high
temperatures (in excess of predicted worst ease scenarios), and allowed to undergo
thermally initiated free radical polymerization. The oligomers considered in this study
were: epoxy acrylates, modified epoxy acrylates, urethane acrylates, polyester acrylates
and acrylic acrylates. A number of monomers were also examined. The monomers
varied in acrylate functionality from 1 to 4.
The potential for serious problems is evident when one considers the possible
exothermic energy This energy release has been estimated to be 18.6 Kcal/mole
of acrylate functionality, based on the heat of reaction of the model compounds methyl,
ethyl, and n-butyl acrylates.' This, combined with an approximate heat capacity of 0.5:
cal/g°C, indicates that temperature rises in excess of 400°C are possible in some systems.
As a result of these substantial temperature increases, thermal degradation is likely to
occur, resulting in vapor release and possible vessel rupture.
