Quantitative analysis of crystallization and skin formation during isothermal solvent removal from semicrystalline polymers

A mathematical model was developed to predict the isothermal drying kinetics of semicrystalline polymer films. The model considers the mechanism of semicrystalline polymer drying that was proposed by us based on experimental studies. Experimental studies have indicated an increase in the degree of crystallinity of semicrystalline poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) during drying, which slows down the rate of diffusion of the solvent remaining in the polymer film. The model considers the crystallization kinetics and the changes in the polymer degree of crystallinity produced in semicrystalline polymers; during solvent removal. The model also takes into account rubbery-glassy transition and skin formation during solvent removal and its effect on the drying kinetics. Model predictions include polymer film thickness, skin thickness, rate of solvent removal and degree of crystallinity of the polymer as functions of time. These predictions were compared with experimental results for drying of PVA films and good agreement was observed between the model predictions and the experimental data. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.