Brillouin spectroscopy studies of two-component polymerizable liquid system: 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxymethacryloxypropoxy)phenyl]propane/benzyl methacrylate.

Brillouin spectroscopy was used to investigate viscoelastic properties of a two-component system consisting of a high viscosity liquid (HVL) and a low viscosity liquid (LVL), both able to polymerize. The model liquids were: 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxymethacryloxypropoxy)phenyl]propane (abbreviated as bis-GMA, HVL) and benzyl methacrylate (BzMA, LVL). The viscosity of the system was regulated by changing the monomer ratio. Hypersonic velocity and attenuation coefficient were investigated in a temperature range covering viscoelastic relaxation process. The dependence of the longitudinal viscosity on the system composition was determined. Additionally, the Brillouin studies were accompanied by some supplementary experimental methods, like low frequency shear viscosity measurements and observations of phase transitions by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The investigated monomer mixtures were then polymerized in a light-induced process and the polymerization kinetic curves were measured to find the possible correlation between the viscoelastic properties of the monomer mixture (as observed by Brillouin spectroscopy) and the polymerization course.

Elastic properties of some selected two-monomer systems as studied by Brillouin spectroscopy.

We present results obtained by Brillouin scattering method for four two-component systems comprising of a high viscosity monomer and a low viscosity monomer. The monomers used were crosslinking (divinyl) or linear (monovinyl) ones. The investigated systems were: divinyl/divinyl-bis-GMA/TEGDM; divinyl/monovinyl-bis-GMA/PEGMM; monovinyl/divinyl-bis-MGMA/TEGDM and monovinyl/monovinyl-bis-MGMA/PEGMM; they were formulated at various molar ratios. The measurements have been performed in temperature range 293-353 K. The following physical parameters characterizing the investigated systems were estimated: hypersonic velocity V, attenuation coefficient α and adiabatic compressibility ß, all as a function of temperature and monomer molar ratio. The obtained results have been discussed in terms of the influence of the system composition and viscosity on their elastic properties. Speed of changes of the adiabatic compressibility ß as derivative have been also discussed in terms of both, the temperature as well as the component of molar ratio.