Diffusivity of solvents in semi-crystalline polyethylene using the Vrentas-Duda free-volume theory
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Derek R. Sturm
Abstract
Diffusion of penetrants in polyethylene below the melt temperature is heavily dependent on the crystallinity of the polyethylene, the temperature of the experiment, and the concentration of solvent in the polymer. As the crystallinity of the polyethylene increases, there is an increase in the path that the solvent must travel as the solvent cannot penetrate the tightly packed chains in the crystalline domain. This effect is typically accounted for by a tortuosity factor. In this work, a simple and effective characterization of the tortuosity factor based simply on the crystal weight fraction has been developed. Data have been collected for six polyethylenes having densities ranging from 0.912 to 0.961 g/cm3 and for three solvents – isopentane, cyclohexane, and 1-hexene. Diffusivity predictions have been obtained using the free-volume theory of Vrentas and Duda in conjunction with the new tortuosity factor. The polyethylenes had crystallinities varying from 40% to 82% effecting an approximately 60% change in the diffusivity. The decrease resulting from ignoring the crystallinity altogether was in some cases essentially a factor of 5. The error in the predicted diffusivities over all the systems was 25%. For cyclohexane, it is shown that the same model parameters characterize data below the melt temperature (in the semi-crystalline region) as well as above the melt temperature (in the amorphous region).
Acknowledgements
Portions of this work were sponsored by NOVA Chemical Co., Calgary, Canada.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Material properties
- Steady shear and dynamic strain thickening of halloysite nanotubes and fumed silica shear thickening composite
- Diffusivity of solvents in semi-crystalline polyethylene using the Vrentas-Duda free-volume theory
- Toughening effect and mechanism of polyamide 12 and modified montmorillonite in polybenzoxazine resin
- The effects of cross-linked/uncross-linked electrospun fibrinogen/polycaprolactone nanofibers on the proliferation of normal human epidermal keratinocytes
- Frequency independent AC electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of polyaniline-based conductive thermosetting composite
- Preparation and assembly
- Study on the preparation and drug release property of soybean selenoprotein/carboxymethyl chitosan composite hydrogel
- Engineering and processing
- Interaction of nanofillers in injection-molded graphene/carbon nanotube reinforced PA66 hybrid nanocomposites
- Prediction of the yellowing of styrene-stat-acrylonitrile and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene during processing in an internal mixer
- Milling process optimization for the best surface coat adhesion of the rigid polyurethane foam
- A numerical analysis of calendering of Oldroyd 4-constant fluid
