Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport through high barrier polyester blends

Abstract

AbstractThe transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide through a set of random copolymer films based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene 2,6‐naphthalate) (PEN) were explored. Diffusivity and permeability of both gases decreased with increasing PEN content. The oxygen and carbon dioxide diffusion coefficients decreased 74 and 82% from pure PET to pure PEN, respectively. The presence of stiffer PEN moieties had an effect on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PET/PEN blends and gas barrier. In the complete range of tested blends, the differential scanner calorimeter analysis displayed a single value of thermal glass transition temperature. As the PEN content was increased, the fractional free volume (FFV) and the diffusion coefficients of the blends were decreased. The Doolittle equation provided the best fit for diffusivity and FFV and showed that the gas transport behavior was better understood when it was taken into consideration the cohesive energy of blends. As the PEN content in films was increased, their rigidity and the glass/rubber transition temperature were increased, and their capacity to be penetrated by small molecules like O2 and CO2 was decreased. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers