Diffusion through rubbery and glassy polymer membranes

Mass transport of a number of organic vapors through polydimethylsiloxane films (PDMS) and carbon dioxide through a variety of polyimides based on a hexafluorotetracarboxylic acid unit (6FDA) were investigated. Vapor diffusion through PDMS films strongly depends on the concentration of the penetrant molecules in the network. For chloroform, increasing diffusivity at lower upstream activities occurs due to network plasticization, while a decreasing diffusion coefficient at larger concentration is supposed to stem from penetrant molecule clustering. The diffusion of carbon dioxide in 6FDA-based polyimides was modelled on a molecular basis. An exponential relation was found between Δcp and the diffusion coefficient and the permeability, respectively. This relation holds also for on-chain modifications.