Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Poly(butyl methacrylate) Swelling in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 35; no. 3; pp. 934 - 940
• Main Authors: Nikitin, Lev N, Said-Galiyev, Ernest E, Vinokur, Rostislav A, Khokhlov, Alexei R, Gallyamov, Marat O, Schaumburg, Kjeld
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 29-01-2002
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma010271+

Swelling of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(butyl methacrylate) samples in supercritical carbon dioxide and propagation of diffusion fronts in the samples were studied in situ at various temperatures and pressures using direct optical observation. The difference in the appearance of diffusion fronts in these polymers with different glass transition temperatures was observed. The diffusion coefficients of carbon dioxide molecules in the polymers were determined both from swelling kinetics and from motion of diffusion fronts. A good agreement between these two values was found. The dependences of the diffusion coefficients and equilibrium swelling degrees of the polymers on pressure and temperature of supercritical carbon dioxide during sample exposure were determined and discussed.