Diffusion Free-volume

The space occupied by a plasticizer depends on its molecular shape. The size of the plasticizer molecirle affects free volmne but also affects plasticizing efficiency, processing and permanence characteristics of materials through diffusion. Free volume increase brought about by plasticization is quantified in terms of the glass transition temperature, Tg, of polymer/plastidzer blend according to the following equation ... 

Otlier expressions for tire diffusion coefficient are based on tire concept of free volume [57], i.e. tire amount of volume in tire sample tliat is not occupied by tire polymer molecules. Computer simulations have also been used to quantify tire mobility of small molecules in polymers [58]. In a first approach, tire partition functions of tire ground... 

The rate of solvent diffusion through the film depends not only on the temperature and the T of the film but also on the solvent stmcture and solvent-polymer iuteractions. The solvent molecules move through free-volume holes iu the films and the rate of movement is more rapid for small molecules than for large ones. Additionally, linear molecules may diffuse more rapidly because their cross-sectional area is smaller than that of branched-chain isomers. Eor example, although isobutyl acetate (IBAc) [105-46-4] has a higher relative evaporation rate than -butyl acetate... 

Sluggish chain mobility and low free volume result in low diffusion constants, and when combined with low solubiUty of gases lead to very low permeabihty. The diffiisivity of several gases in butyl mbber and natural mbber are shown in Table 3 (82) (see Barrier polymers). 

Ertl and DuUien [ibid.] found that Hildebrand s equation could not fit their data with B as a constant. They modified it by applying an empirical exponent n (a constant greater than unity) to the volumetric ratio. The new equation is not generally useful, however, since there is no means for predicting /i. The theory does identify the free volume as an important physical variable, since n > for most hquids implies that diffusion is more stronglv dependent on free volume than is viscosity. 

Matthews-Akgerman The free-volume approach of Hildebrand was shown to be valid for binary, dilute liquid paraffin mixtures (as well as self-diffusion), consisting of solutes from Cg to Cig and solvents of Cg and C o- The term they referred to as the diffusion volume was simply correlated with the critical volume, as = 0.308 V. We can infer from Table 5-15 that this is approximately related to the volume at the melting point as = 0.945 V, . Their correlation was vahd for diffusion of linear alkanes at temperatures up to 300°C and pressures up to 3.45 MPa. Matthews et al. and Erkey and Akger-man completea similar studies of diffusion of alkanes, restricted to /1-hexadecane and /i-octane, respectively, as the solvents. 

Fouling Industrial streams may contain condensable or reactive components which may coat, solvate, fill the free volume, or react with the membrane. Gases compressed by an oil-lubricated compressor may contain oil, or may be at the water dew point. Materials that will coat or harm the membrane must be removed before the gas is treated. Most membranes require removal of compressor oil. The extremely permeable poly(trimethylsilylpropyne) may not become a practical membrane because it loses its permeability rapidly. Part of the problem is pore collapse, but it seems extremely sensitive to contamination even by diffusion pump oil and gaskets [Robeson, op. cit., (1994)]. 

The diffusion process in natural and polychloroprene rubber adhesives can be explained by Campion s approach [1] which considers the concept of molecular free volume. This free volume is mainly affected by the solvent mixture of the adhesive (which will determine the degree of uncoiling of rubber chains) and by the ingredients in the formulation (mainly the amount and type of tackifier). 

The reactivity of macromonomers in copolymerizalion is strongly dependent on the particular comonomer-macromonomer pair. Solvent effects and the viscosity of the polymerization medium can also be important. Propagation may become diffusion controlled such that the propagation rate constant and reactivity ratios depend on the molecular weight of the macromonomer and the viscosity or, more accurately, the free volume of the medium. 

The sizes and concentration of the free-volume cells in a polyimide film can be measured by PALS. The positrons injected into polymeric material combine with electrons to form positroniums. The lifetime (nanoseconds) of the trapped positronium in the film is related to the free-volume radius (few angstroms) and the free-volume fraction in the polyimide can be calculated.136 This technique allows a calculation of the dielectric constant in good agreement with the experimental value.137 An interesting correlation was found between the lifetime of the positronium and the diffusion coefficient of gas in polyimide.138,139 High permeabilities are associated with high intensities and long lifetime for positron annihilation. 

Diffusion Molecules of a fluid already inside a polymer at a high-concentration region compared with surrounding regions will diffuse over a finite time away from the high concentration until an equilibrium situation is achieved. If the high concentration is at the surface, diffusion occurs into the bulk. The diffusant molecules move stepwise into free volume holes as they form according to kinetic theory. 

To evaluate the time-dependent function, X(t), a simple model of diffusion is proposed. Starting from Langmuir adsorption theory, we consider that liquid molecules having diffused into the elastomer are localized on discrete sites (which might be free volume domains). In these conditions, we can deduce the rate of occupation of these sites by TCP with time. Only the filhng of the first layer of the sites situated below the liquid/solid interface at a distance of the order of the length of intermolecular interaction, i.e., a few nanometers, needs to be considered to estimate X(t). 

It is also useful to note that other approaches to describe diffusion in solvent-polymer systems have been developed using free-volume theory [408-410]. 

Vrentas, JS Duda, JL, Diffusion in Polymer-Solvent Systems. I. Reexamination of the Free-Volume Theory, Journal of Polymer Science Polymer Physics Edition 15, 403, 1977. Vrentas, JS Duda, JL, Diffusion in Polymer-Solvent Systems. II. A Predictive Theory for the Dependence of Diffusion Coefficients on Temperature, Concentration, and Molecnlar Weight, Journal of Polymer Science Polymer Physics Edition 15, 417, 1977. 

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