Filling the void: Template prototyping through frontal polymerization

A promising reactive manufacturing method is frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP), which is characterized by a self-sustaining exothermic polymerization cascade that autonomously transforms bulk monomer resin into polymer materials. Here, we demonstrate a straightforward technique for the rapid fabrication of open-mold materials from FROMP of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) through open-cell polyurethane (PU) foam templates. Specifically, we investigate how front behavior and mechanical properties are governed by the pore density of the template. Across the investigated pores per inch (PPI) range, we observed modest reductions in front velocity relative to bulk pDCPD, with mechanical properties of the composites displaying poor mechanical behavior below 80 PPI. Collectively, these findings establish porous templating as an effective strategy for geometric control in FROMP-enabled manufacturing.