Melting point of polymers under high pressure: Part II. Influence of gases

The influence of highly compressed gases on the melting of polyethylene was investigated for nitrogen, helium and ethylene. The impact of the particle size of the polymer and the heating rate on the melting point were also analysed. The melting points were determined with a high pressure differential thermal analysis (HPDTA) apparatus. These measurements were compared with independent measurements, done by high pressure differential scanning calorimetry (HPDSC), without gas. From this experimental data it was possible to calculate the concentration of the gas in the molten polymer phase based on equilibrium thermodynamics. For high density polyethylene (HDPE), a concentration of nitrogen at the polymer melting point of 10.4–35.7 mL(SATP) g(polymer)−1, in the pressure interval of 65–315 MPa, was calculated.