Solubility of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC-134a, HFC-152a) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC-142b) blowing agents in polystyrene

Solubilities of blowing agents (HFC-134a, HCFC-142b, and HFC-152a) in polystyrene (PS) were measured at temperatures from 348 to 473 K and pressures up to 3.2 MPa with a volumetric method. For all conditions, the solubility of the blowing agents in PS decreased with increasing temperature. At a given temperature and pressure, the solubility of HFC-134a, HFC-152a, and HCFC-142b in PS increased in that order. Solubilities could be correlated with the Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state with temperature-dependent binary interaction parameters to within 3.4% average relative percent deviation. The temperature dependence of the Henry's constants, K-P for the blowing agents were found to have a linear relationship between In(1/K-P) and (T-c/T)(2), where T-c is the critical temperature of the blowing agent.