Phase behavior,density, and crystallization of polyethylene in n‐pentane and in n‐pentane/CO2 at high pressures

The phase behavior and volumetric properties of polyethylene (PE) in solutions of n‐pentane and n‐pentane/CO₂ were studied in a temperature (T) range of 370–440 K at pressures up to 60 MPa. Measurements were conducted with a variable‐volume view‐cell system equipped with optical sensors to monitor the changes in the transmitted light intensity as the P or the T of the system was changed. Lower‐critical‐solution‐temperature‐type behavior was observed for all of the liquid–liquid (L–L) phase boundaries, which shifted to higher pressures in solutions containing CO₂. The solid–fluid (S–F) phase boundaries were investigated over a P range of 8–54 MPa and took place in a narrow T range, from 374 to 378 K in this P interval. The S–F phase boundary showed a unique feature in that the demixing temperatures showed both increasing and decreasing trends with P depending on the P range. This was observed in both the PE/n‐pentane and PE/n‐pentane/CO₂ mixtures. The density of these solutions were measured as a function of P at selected temperatures or as a function of T at selected pressures that corresponded to the paths followed in approaching the phase boundaries (S–F or L–L) starting from a homogeneous one‐phase condition. The data showed a smooth variation of the overall mixture density along these paths. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2201–2209, 2003