Carbon dioxide plasticization and conditioning effects in thick vs. thin glassy polymer films
2011
Horn, Norman R. | Paul, D.R.
Recent studies have shown that thin glassy polymer films undergo physical aging more rapidly than thick films. This suggests that thickness may also play a role in the plasticization and conditioning responses of thin glassy films in the presence of highly-sorbing penetrants such as CO₂. In this paper, a carefully designed systematic study explores the effect of thickness on the CO₂ plasticization and conditioning phenomena in Matrimid®, a polyimide commonly used in commercial gas separation membranes. Thin films are found to be more sensitive than thick films to CO₂ exposure, undergoing more extensive and rapid plasticization at any pressure. The response of glassy polymers films to CO₂ is not only dependent on thickness, but also on aging time, CO₂ pressure, exposure time, and prior history. Finally, thin films experiencing constant CO₂ exposure for longer periods of time exhibit an initial large increase in CO₂ permeability, which eventually reaches a maximum, followed by a significant decrease in permeability for the duration of the experiment. Thick films, in contrast, do not seem to exhibit this trend for the range of conditions explored.
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