A Straightforward and Rapid Method to Assess ROMP Performance in Neat Thermosetting Resins

Polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD) is a thermosetting material used to produce body panels for industrial equipment and vehicles. PDCPD and other important thermosets are produced by direct transformation of neat monomer (dicyclopentadiene) to solid polymer using a catalyst in a process called reaction injection molding. As polymerization and cross-linking are competitive, the polymerization process is therefore inherently challenging to study. In this work, we develop a laboratory-scale method that is rapid and low cost, and which enables the comparison of initiators for ring-opening metathesis polymerization. Additionally, the method enables prediction of both the mechanical and thermal properties of the final material.