Two-stage sorption in rubbery semicrystalline polymers: transport of primary alcohols in polyesteramide

This paper deals with the two-stage sorption of methanol, 1-propanol and 1-hexanol in a rubbery semicrystalline polyesteramide. This is the first time two-stage sorption is reported for a semicrystalline rubbery polymer. Mass uptake, specimen geometry and surface concentration were measured independently. The two-stage sorption curve describes two overlapping processes; a very rapid diffusion (mode 1) superimposed onto a normal s-shaped sorption curve (mode 2). Mode 1 swelling was uni-dimensional and mode 2 swelling was initially uni-dimensional and later three-dimensional. It was possible to model the sorption curves by assuming time-dependent solute-surface-concentration conditions, similar to those used to describe simple s-shaped sorption. The obtained time dependence, characterised by a single relaxation time, agreed with experimental values of the surface concentration obtained by infrared spectroscopy. The relaxation time increased exponentially with increasing size of the diffusing alcohol molecule. The solubility of the alcohols in the polymer increased with increasing hydroxyl-group density. The diffusivity of alcohol decreased nonlinearly with increasing length of the molecule, size effects being less important for larger solutes.