Transport behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons through high density polyethylene/ ethylene propylene diene terpolymer blends

Abstract

Membrane based separation technology is currently regarded as a new frontier of chemical engineering and widely used for the purification, concentration and fractionation of fluid mixtures. Polymer blend membranes are promising materials that can overcome the difficulties associated with homopolymer systems and hence the selection of polymer blend membrane as a novel material for various applications is worth probing. Transport properties of aromatic hydrocarbons through a new class of membranes from blends of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and ethylene propylene diene terpolymer rubber (EPDM) have been investigated at different temperatures to understand the effect of physical and chemical nature of the polymer blend on the transport phenomena. The effects of blend ratio, temperature and penetrant size on the sorption properties were studied. The equilibrium solvent uptake decreases with an increase in concentration of HDPE, in the blends. Relationship between transport behavior and the morphology of the system was examined. The mechanism of transport has been analyzed and found that the mode of transport is close to Fickian. The sorption data have been used to estimate the transport coefficients and various kinetic parameters of sorption.