The use of THz time-domain reflection measurements to investigate solvent diffusion in polymers

Solvent diffusion into polymers is central to their performance, for example as controlled delivery pharmaceutical products. In this work, we present the novel application of terahertz (THz) time-domain reflectance spectroscopy to quantify the ingress of acetone into various polymer materials. Reflections from the top and bottom surfaces of the discs are temporally resolved, as is a reflection from the interface between acetone-wet polymer and dry polymer. These reflections enable both the polymer swelling and more importantly the position of the liquid diffusion front to be quantified as a function of time. Verification of these measurements is provided by equivalent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements, with which there is excellent agreement.