Abstract

In the presence of moisture, hydrolysis and polycondensation mechanisms cause the alkoxysilane groups linked to the ends of polymer chains to cross-link silyl-modified polymers. Three separate physical states can be distinguished during these processes (viscous, skin effect and cross-linked state). To establish the open time for the adhesive business, it is crucial to understand how these states evolve at each reaction time. This information is typically gathered manually. Automation of this monitoring could reduce human error and be used to screen a large number of catalysts or for extremely lengthy cross-linking reactions. Hence, by observing the decrease in intensity of the Si-OCH3 groups during chemical reactions, a contactless microprocessing technology was established to link these physical states with an optical technology, Raman spectroscopy. Using the least amount of chemical components possible, this online characterisation approach can also be utilised to compare the efficacy of various catalysts for the cross-linking of silylmodified polymers.