STUDY OF DIFFUSION AND SORPTION OF BIS-(2-CHLOROETHYL)SULFIDE (SM) AND BIS-(2-CHLOROETHYL)ETHER (OM) THROUGH POLYPROPYLENE (PP) AND BIAXIAL-ORIENTED POLYPROPYLENE (BOPP) FILMS BY THE FTIR-ATR SPECTROSCOPIC METHOD

The diffusion of sulfur mustard (SM) and oxygen mustard (OM) in polypr opylene (PP) and biaxial-oriented PP (BOPP) was measured using Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectrosco py, which allows one to study the diffusion of liquid through thin pol ymer films in situ. The temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients o f OM and SM for PP and BOPP are also reported; these are in good agree ment with the values obtained by the weight gain method. The activatio n energy of diffusion is determined by both methods. The polymer-penet rant interaction parameter (K) and transport number (n) are calculated for the system PP/OM and BOPP/OM by weight gain method. The ''n'' val ues indicate a Fickian mode of diffusion. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.