Polymer materials have a molecular structure which is altered by mixing, heating, or irradiation with light. In some cases, those changes are completed in several seconds, while in others they proceed slowly over several hours. Because the Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) enables high- speed measurement, FTIR is an extremely effective technique for tracking chemical reactions and changes that proceed very quickly. This article introduces the results of measurement of the reaction process of a UV-curable resin using the Rapid Scan function of IRXross, a new FTIR from Shimadzu Corporation.
Acrylate and other UV-curable resins can be hardened (cured) in a comparatively short time by radical polymerization when irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light. Although the curing reaction proceeds slowly under an ordinary indoor fluorescent light, a nearly complete curing reaction can be achieved in only a few seconds by using strong UV irradiation from a commercial UV lamp. An FTIR with a high-speed scanning function is necessary in order to track reactions of this type, which proceed in a very short time. Because the Rapid Scan feature of the IRXross FTIR permits acquisition of up to 20 infrared spectra per second, even curing reaction processes that are completed in only seconds can be observed in detail. Fig. 1 shows the appearance of the IRXross equipped with the Rapid Scan function.
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