SORPTION AND DIFFUSION OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES INTO ELASTOMERS

The results of the sorption and diffusion of aldehydes and ketones into structurally different elastomers such as ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, styrene butadiene rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, neoprene and natural rubber are described in the temperature interval of 25-60-degrees-C. From these data, the Arrhenius parameters for the processes of diffusion and permeation are determined. The activation parameters for the diffusion of ketones range from 10.29 to 49.62 kJ/mol and for aldehydes, from 13.18 to 50.42 kJ/mol; these values fall in the range expected for rubbery polymers well above their glass transition temperatures. Transport data are affected by the nature of the interacting solvent molecule rather than its size and also by the structural variations of the elastomers. For all the solvents, the polymers remained intact; however, natural rubber in the presence of benzaldehyde showed degradative reactions at higher temperatures. Volumetric expansions of the elastomers have been measured from the dimensional response in the presence of aggressive solvents.