Effect of polymerization kinetics in photopolymerization-induced phase separation for polyether in photo-curable monomers in film geometry*

Photopolymerization-induced phase separation is triggered by the polymerization to convert the low molecular weight monomers into polymer networks, and it would serve as a useful strategy for fabricating 3D printed porous structures in stereolithography. Polyether as phase separation additives has an incompatibility with photo-curable (meth)acrylate monomer system and removable properties using alcohol to create porous polymer networks. We have compared the difference in the morphological development of polymerization-induced phase separation with different types of additive polymer. Real-time optical turbidity measurements have been carried out to measure UV light transmittance for the in-situ monitoring of the photopolymerization induced phase separation under the continuous UV irradiation. Optical and electron microscopy tools have been utilized to investigate the morphology for the photopolymerization-induced phase separation confined in film geometry.