A free radical copolymerization model for simulating reactive processing of unsaturated polyester resins

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Abstract
A free radical copolymerization model is proposed for simulating the reaction rates and conversions of styrene monomer and unsaturated polyester resins during curing. This model is based on film theory in which the rate constants reflect both reaction and diffusion resistances. Differential scanning calorimetry in combination with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to measure the overall and individual reactivities of reacting species. Model parameters are determined from experimental data. The applicability of this model is demonstrated in a cure simulation.