Do person sized automanipulators use standard manipulator batteries?
Do ship sized automanipulators use some larger version of that battery?
Well, sorta. The use more of the driving substance at least.
I was giving you the choice out of gameplay reasons, since it would probably be endothermic.
I know it was for gameplay stuff, but I'm trying to get at least a semblance of believable chem for this.
Why do you think it should be endothermic, by the way? Any particular reason? Or just because you decided it should be condensation polymerization?
You could try to counteract it with another reaction, but thats gonna really slow down the reaction due to the temp difference retarding the reaction and the mixing making it harder for the chemicals to "Meet" each other in the fluid, if that makes sense.
If it's an endothermic reaction, then supplying heat should speed up the process, no? Why would the temp difference slow down the reaction?
How about this: we make it a condensation polymerization that gives of a bit of gaseous by-product (to help with the foaming).
Monomers are in solution A. In solution B, we add a chemical which reacts with something in A, this is exothermic. Thereby, if the concentrations are chosen good enough, once you mix A and B it'll take a short time before the exothermic reaction supplies enough heat for the endothermic polymerization to get going fast (so it doesn't start 'foaming' and expanding too fast). It doesn't really matter you need to mix them first, since heat is transferred relatively quickly, so once the initial mixing gives some heat and gets the initial crosslinking going, there will be equilibrium between the linking and expanding foam, and the exothermic 'jump-starter'. After jump-starting the linking, the secondary exothermic reaction (which will occur slower, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue) keeps the polymerization going, and keeps the temp of the whole thing at non-damaging levels.
If you really think it should have that high/low temp downside for gameplay reasons though, just say so, so we don't waste time on something you wouldn't allow anyway.
I feel like I answered these before for some reason...some sort of odd deja vu. Hmm...oh well. silly brain connections getting recursive on me.
No reason really, beyond the fact that, as a general rule, the formation of bonds tends to take energy while the breaking of them tends to release it. That's why most epoxies and resins and similar catalyzed solidifying reactions release heat. Figured it would more then likely hold true here.
The problem would be supplying enough heat. True, it would speed the formation of bonds but too much energy could cause those bonds to break. I'm probably thinking of too great of temps though, never mind me.
That all seems fine to me, although "reaction supplies enough heat for the endothermic polymerization to get going fast" makes me wonder how this stuff would react in the open vacuum of space or on a very hot planet or something. But it's too early for me to even start considering that stuff. We'll just say that will work.