Interaction of supercritical carbon dioxide with polymers. II. Amorphous polymers

Abstract

In continuation of our goal to implement supercritical fluid (SCF) technology for various applications such as precision cleaning, foaming, and impregnation of materials, a systematic study has been performed involving amorphous polymers. Eleven different polymers of amorphous nature have been subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2) treatment under a wide pressure and temperature range (1000–3000 psi and 25–70°C, respectively). The influence and impact of such treatment on the appearance, weight change, and thermal and mechanical properties were followed systematically. In addition, the effect of treatment conditions and dimension of the samples on weight changes were also monitored. It has been found that amorphous polymers can absorb carbon dioxide to a greater extent than crystalline polymers and, in turn, the phenomenon of plasticization was also very high. In addition to morphology, the polarity of the polymer is also crucial in determining the solubility in carbon dioxide. Comparison was also made with the behavior of crystalline polymers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.