Water vapor sorption by fibers of aromatic polyamides

Isotherms of water vapor sorption by fibers of aromatic polyamides of several types have been obtained in a wide range of relative pressures (p/p(s) from 0 to 0.8-0.9). It has been shown that different values of moisture sorption determined from sorption isotherms correlate with molecular and structural characteristics, such as the thermodynamic rigidity of macromolecules, the integral specific surface area with respect to an inactive sorbate (krypton), the average off-orientation angle, and the phase state of the structure. It has been speculated that a difference in the moisture sorption of the test fibers is primarily related to their phase structure, particularly, to the prevalence of either a mesophase or crystalline order.