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Kinetic Analysis and Characterization of Epoxy Resins ... - FedOA

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Results <strong>and</strong> Discussion 113<br />

3.3 Comparison MW versus DSC<br />

A comparison <strong>of</strong> degree <strong>of</strong> conversion in function <strong>of</strong> reaction time during microwave<br />

<strong>and</strong> conventional DSC cure processes <strong>of</strong> the epoxy system, undergone almost<br />

the same thermal pr<strong>of</strong>ile, has been performed for investigating the existence<br />

<strong>of</strong> the specific microwave effect.<br />

3.3.1 Specific Microwave Effect<br />

Activating effects induced by electromagnetic wave absorption, <strong>and</strong> that cannot<br />

be easily emulated through conventional heating methods, remain a very controversial<br />

topic since the beginning <strong>of</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> microwave for supplying energy for<br />

chemical reactions [21, 22].<br />

Therefore specific microwave effect is a non thermal effect <strong>of</strong> MW field, involving<br />

an acceleration <strong>of</strong> reaction rate 7 , <strong>and</strong> a variation <strong>of</strong> chemical reaction<br />

mechanism.<br />

Two fundamental explanations have been proposed for justifying this effect:<br />

1. Effects depending on lifetime <strong>of</strong> transition state <strong>of</strong> reactants. In the case<br />

<strong>of</strong> short lifetime, the position hypothesis holds: the electric field would induce<br />

suitable positions <strong>of</strong> reactants that would minimize the entropy <strong>of</strong> the<br />

system. In the case <strong>of</strong> a very long lifetime, the electric field would induce<br />

an increasing probability <strong>of</strong> molecular collisions. Loupy et al. [23] have addressed<br />

the orienting effect <strong>of</strong> electric field, so microwave irradiation could<br />

induce molecular organization different from those induced by classical heating<br />

mode;<br />

2. The occurrence <strong>of</strong> a difference between local temperature <strong>of</strong> electrical entities,<br />

i.e. dipolar moment associated with chemical bonds.<br />

7 Not simply attributable to differences <strong>of</strong> heating rate or thermal pr<strong>of</strong>ile.<br />

113

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