K. Nagai et al., Gas permeability and hydrocarbon solubility of poly[1-phenyl-2-[p-(triisopropylsilyl)phenyl]acetylene], J POL SC PP, 38(11), 2000, pp. 1474-1484
The effects of film thickness, physical aging, and methanol conditioning on
the solubility and transport properties of glassy poly[1-phenyl-2- [p-(tri
isopropylsilyl) phenyl] acetylene] are reported at 35 degrees C. In general
, the gas permeability coefficients are very high, and this polymer is more
permeable to larger hydrocarbons (e.g., C3H8 and C4H10) than to light gase
s such as H-2. The gas permeability and solubility coefficients are higher
in as-cast, unaged films than in as-cast films aged at ambient conditions a
nd increase to a maximum in both unaged and aged as-cast films after methan
ol conditioning. For example, the oxygen permeability of a 20-mu m-thick as
-cast film is initially 100 barrer and decreases to 40 barrer after aging f
or 1 week at ambient conditions. After methanol treatment, the oxygen perme
abilities of unaged and aged films increase to 430 and 460 barrer, respecti
vely. Thicker as-cast films have higher gas permeabilities than thinner as-
cast films. Propane and n-butane sorption isotherms suggest significant cha
nges in the nonequilibrium excess free volume in these glassy polymer films
due to processing history. For example, the nonequilibrium excess free vol
ume estimated from the sorption data is similar for as-cast, unaged samples
and methanol-conditioned samples; it is 100% higher in methanol-conditione
d films than in aged, as-cast films. The sensitivity of permeability to pro
cessing history may be due in large measure to the influence of processing
history on nonequilibrium excess free volume and free volume distribution.
The propane and n-butane diffusion coefficients are also sensitive to film
processing history, presumably because of the dependence of diffusivity on
free volume and free volume distribution. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.