Sorption studies of semi-crystalline polyamides

• Main Author: Ruppa Subramanian, Shalini.
• Other Authors: Loo Sun Sun Leslie
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Chemical engineering::Polymers and polymer manufacture
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39490
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Sorption is the penetration and dispersion of a gas or liquid molecule through a solid surface such as a polymer. Sorption studies were undertaken to analyse the effect of the sorbent on polymers. In this experiment, the weight gained by polymers and the diffusion coefficient of acetone was studied on polyamide 6, polyamide 66, polyamide 11 and polyamide 12. Ten polymer beads of each material were immersed in 10 and 15 ml of dried acetone. The polymers were weighed at regular intervals over a period of time till the weight reached steady state. The moles of acetone in the container was also measured at those intervals using gas chromatography. Polyamide 6 and polyamide 66 did not absorb any acetone. Polyamide 11 and polyamide 12 absorbed considerable amounts of acetone. Polyamide 12 absorbed slightly more acetone than polyamide 11. Consequently, the diffusion coefficient of polyamide 12 was higher than polyamide 11. However, both the weight of polyamide 11 and polyamide 12 did not reach steady state during the course of the experiment.