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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
The acrylic system consisting of a casting syrup [made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) dissolved in methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer] and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) monomer was polymerized by two different methods. One of these methods was made by thermal decomposition of benzoil peroxide (BP) as initiator, and the other one, used the promoted decomposition of BP using dimethyl p-toluidine (DMT). Both types of polymerization were carried out by bulk polymerization in closed test tubes. Since the polymerization reactions were over, the polymer obtained from the two methods were very different each other in appearance and, when characterization analysis were performed those gave evidence of different behavior between the two types of polymers. The characterization study was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to observe the morphology and microstructure in the polymers. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Raman and micro-Raman to analyze differences on the chemical compositions in the polymer bulk. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate the thermal behavior, Dilatometry to determine the final cure shrinkage after polymerization reaction in the two types of polymers.