Predicting Dose Rate Effects in EB Polymerizations Based on Monomer Structure

Sage M. Schissel (eT) and Nicole Kloepfer (UI), ebeam Technologies

Abstract:Dose rate effects (DREs), or changes in polymer properties due to changes in dose rate, can be problematic during scale-up of electron-beam-initiated polymerization. DREs are not apparent for all formulation chemistries and processing parameters, and predicting when they will occur is challenging. Using glass transition temperature as measured by dynamic mechanical analysis, DREs were characterized for various acrylate monomers polymerized at different dose rates. Results show monomers with more easily abstractable hydrogens have smaller DREs.