Scattering of ultraviolet radiation in turbid suspensions

A Beer's law expression for the penetration depth of ultraviolet radiation in a concentrated suspension of scattering particles is used to model the depth of cure for a suspension of ceramic particles in a medium of photocurable monomers. The cure depth is predominantly controlled by the square of the refractive index difference between the ceramic particles and the medium, Delta n(2) = (n(p) - n(0))(2). A secondary effect on the cure depth is the ratio of the interparticle spacing to the ultraviolet wavelength. Theoretical results agree with experimental data for 0.40-0.50 volume fraction ceramic-filled suspensions. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.