Effect of temperature on the transport of solvents through PTMSP under ultra-high pressures

Abstract

Despite a large number of studies, by now there is no any definitive explanation of the solvent transport mechanism in nanostructured polymer materials. Both convective and diffusive transport of solvents can be observed in these materials. The study of the solvents permeability at different temperatures and pressures allow the variation of the physical parameters and structure of the solvent-membrane interaction thus becoming the key factor in the understanding of the fundamental aspects of the selective transport process in nanostructured polymer membranes. The paper presents the study of ethanol, propanol and water transport through poly [1- (trimethylsilyl)-l-propine] (PTMSP) at pressures 50-150 atm and temperature up to 90°C. The study was done by the method of pressure dynamic decay. As the temperature rises, the permeability of ethanol and propanol through PTMSP is shown to increase in proportion to decreasing viscosity that denotes a convective type of transport. As for water, the permeability change is thermo-activated that is typical for a diffusive type of transport. This difference in the transport characteristics can be related to a change in the membrane structure and energetic characteristics of the solvent-polymer interaction.