Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of polymerization rate in an acrylamide-based photopolymer

Raghavendra Jallapuram, Dublin Institute of Technology
Izabela Naydenova, Dublin Institute of Technology
Hugh J. Byrne, Dublin Institute of Technology
Suzanne Martin, Dublin Institute of Technology
Robert Howard, Dublin Institute of Technology
Vincent Toal, Dublin Institute of Technology

Document Type Article

Abstract

Investigations of polymerization rates in an acrylamide-based photopolymer are presented. The polymerization rate for acrylamide and methylenebisacrylamide was determined by monitoring the changes in the characteristic vibrational peaks at 1284 cm-1 and 1607 cm-1 corresponding to the bending mode of CH bond and CC double bonds of acrylamide and in the characteristic peak at 1629 cm-1 corresponding to carbon-carbon double bond of methylenebisacrylamide using Raman spectroscopy. To study the dependence of the polymerization rate on intensity and to find the dependence parameter, the polymerization rate constant was measured at different intensities.

A comparison with a commercially available photopolymer shows that the polymerization rate in this photopolymer is much faster.