Radiation curing of poly-methyl-methacrylate using a variable power microwave source

Microwave curing has recently been used as an alternative to thermal curing in some thermosetting resins. Advantage of the process includes better process control, faster curing times as well as the ability to operate the process as part of a continuous conveying system. This paper reports on the study performed on the microwave curing of methyl-methacrylate monomers. The tacticity of the polymer was analysed in-situ by NMR spectroscopy and compared with results obtained using a thermal approach. The results indicate that the tacticity for both were similar. The degree of conversion was also determined using IR spectroscopy and plotted with time for microwave curing, and the results compared with thermal curing. © 1995 Elsevier Science S.A.