Chapter 9 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWV Nonlinear Dynamics in Frontal Polymerization John A. Pojman 1 , Sammy Popwell 1 , Dionne I. Fortenberry 2 , Vitaly A. Volpert 3 , and Vladimir A. Volpert 4 1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg,MS39406 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYX 2 Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, MS 39701 3 MAPLY UMR 5585, Université Lyon I, F-69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France 4 Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston,IL60208-3125 Thermal frontal polymerization is a mode of converting monomer into polymer via a localized exothermic reaction zone that propagates through the coupling of thermal diffusion and the Arrhenius reaction kinetics of an exothermic polymerization. We review the range of nonlinear phenomena that have been observed in frontal polymerization systems and report new results on the role of gravity in spin modes and the development of spherically-propagating fronts. Introduction Frontal polymerization (FP) is a process of converting monomer into polymer via a localized reaction zone that propagates through the monomer. There are two modes of FP. Isothermal Frontal Polymerization (IFP), also called Interfacial Gel Polymerization, is a slow process in which polymerization occurs at a constant temperature and a localized reaction zone propagates because of the gel effectzyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJ (1,2). 106 © 2004 American Chemical Society Downloaded by UNIV OF GUELPH LIBRARY on September 13, 2012 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: November 18, 2003 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2004-0869.ch009 In Nonlinear Dynamics in Polymeric Systems; Pojman, J., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2003.