The degree of conversion (DoC) is
significantly linked with many
material properties of a UV-cured resin. Current curing kinetic models
provide insight into how DoC evolves with depth for a pure resin cured
by the collimated light beam. However, they do not accurately describe
how DoC evolves within UV-curable composites or systems in which multidirectional
ray propagation is in play. This paper describes a simulation framework
for predicting the spatial and temporal evolution of DoC within a
UV-curable composite. The framework uses the Monte Carlo method to
predict light propagation and absorbed energy density at different
reaction time steps. It also uses curing kinetic models and optical
property models to predict DoC and optical properties within a volume.
The framework was applied to simulate the photoinduced, free-radical
polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate/phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)
phosphine oxide-based composites. It was used to study the influence
of filler volume fraction and filler particle on the curing depth
and curing width. The results show that larger filler volume fraction
or smaller filler leads to smaller curing depth and width, which is
in qualitative agreement with experimental results published in the
research literature. The framework was also applied to simulate the
formation of adhesive joints in a photoactivated adhesive workholding
fixture application. The influence of a light source, a filler, and
a workpiece surface on the final DoC distribution was investigated.
The results show that (1) both the beam spread from a light-emitting
diode (LED) light and the usage of a filler have large influences
on the curing width of an adhesive joint. However, such influences
will not be aggregated. (2) The light scattering by the fillers leads
to a higher DoC in the secondary curing zone at shallow depth ranges,
while the beam spread of the LED light beam results in a higher DoC
in the secondary curing zone at deep depth ranges. (3) If the adhesive
is not thick, then a highly reflective workpiece surface can promote
the DoC at deep depth ranges. (4) Inside the primary curing zone,
diffuse reflection caused by the workpiece surface greatly promotes
the polymerization rate near the workpiece surface.