Structural and Preliminary Explosive Property Characterizations of New 3,4,5‐Triamino‐1,2,4‐triazolium (Guanazinium) Salts

Two new highly stable energetic salts were synthesized in reasonable yield by using the high nitrogen‐content heterocycle 3,4,5‐triamino‐1,2,4‐triazole and resulting in its picrate and azotetrazolate salts. 3,4,5‐Triamino‐1,2,4‐triazolium picrate (1) and bis(3,4,5‐triamino‐1,2,4‐triazolium) 5,5′‐azotetrazolate (2) were characterized analytically and spectroscopically. X‐ray diffraction studies revealed that protonation takes place on the nitrogen N1 (crystallographically labelled as N2). The sensitivity of the compounds to shock and friction was also determined by standard BAM tests revealing a low sensitivity for both. B3LYP/6–31G(d, p) density functional (DFT) calculations were carried out to determine the enthalpy of combustion (Δ_cH (1) =−3737.8 kJ mol⁻¹, Δ_cH (2) =−4577.8 kJ mol⁻¹) and the standard enthalpy of formation (Δ_fH° (1) =−498.3 kJ mol⁻¹, (Δ_fH° (2) =+524.2 kJ mol⁻¹). The detonation pressures (P (1) =189×10⁸ Pa, P (2) =199×10⁸ Pa) and detonation velocities (D (1) =7015 m s⁻¹, D (2) =7683 m s⁻¹) were calculated using the program EXPLO5.     

Taming the Beast: Measurement of the Enthalpies of Combustion and Formation of Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) and Diacetone Diperoxide (DADP) by Oxygen Bomb Calorimetry

Low‐melting paraffin wax was successfully used as a phlegmatizing agent to perform semi‐micro oxygen bomb calorimetry of spectroscopically pure samples of the sensitive explosive peroxides TATP and DADP. The energies of combustion (Δ_cU) were measured and the standard enthalpies of formation (Δ_fH°) were derived using the CODATA values for the standard enthalpies of formation of the combustion products. Whilst the measured Δ_fH° of DADP (Δ_fH°=−598.5 ± 39.7 kJ mol⁻¹) could not be compared to any existing literature value, the measured Δ_fH° value of TATP (Δ_fH°=+151.4 ± 32.7 kJ mol⁻¹) did not correlate well with the only existing experimental value and confirmed that TATP is an endothermic cyclic peroxide.     

Calculation of the Detonation Velocities and Detonation Pressures of Dinitrobiuret (DNB) and Diaminotetrazolium Nitrate (HDAT‐NO3)

The enthalpies of combustion (Δ_combH) of dinitrobiuret (DNB) and diaminotetrazolium nitrate (HDAT‐NO₃) were determined experimentally using oxygen bomb calorimetry: Δ_combH(DNB)=5195±200 kJ kg⁻¹, Δ_combH(HDAT‐NO₃)=7900±300 kJ kg⁻¹. The standard enthalpies of formation (Δ_fH°) of DNB and HDAT‐NO₃ were obtained on the basis of quantum chemical computations at the electron‐correlated ab initio MP2 (second order Møller‐Plesset perturbation theory) level of theory using a correlation consistent double‐zeta basis set (cc‐pVTZ): Δ_fH°(DNB)=−353 kJ mol⁻¹, −1 829 kJ kg⁻¹; Δ_fH°(HDAT‐NO₃)=+254 kJ mol⁻¹, +1 558 kJ kg⁻¹. The detonation velocities (D) and detonation pressures (P) of DNB and HDAT‐NO₃ were calculated using the empirical equations by Kamlet and Jacobs: D(DNB)=8.66 mm μs⁻¹, P(DNB)=33.9 GPa, D(HDAT‐NO₃)=8.77 mm μs⁻¹, P(HDAT‐NO₃)=33.3 GPa.     

Humid aging of polyetherimide. I. Water sorption characteristics

The sorption and desorption kinetics of water into polyetherimide (ULTEM 1000) were studied at various temperatures ranging from 20 to 100°C. The water equilibrium concentration increases slightly with temperature from 1.39% (by weight) at 20°C to 1.50% at 100°C. The solubility coefficient, S, calculated from these data, and the water vapor pressure decrease with temperature. The calculated heat of dissolution H_s is close to −43 kJ mol⁻¹, which explains the low effect of temperature on the equilibrium concentration. The diffusion coefficient, D, varies from about 1.10⁻¹² m² · s⁻¹ at 20°C to about 16.10⁻¹² m² · s⁻¹ at 100°C. The apparent activation energy of diffusion, E_D, and the heat of dissolution, H_s, of water in the polymer have opposite values (respectively, +43 and −42 kJ · mol⁻¹). From this observation and a comparison of these data with water diffusion characteristics in other glassy polar polymers, it is hypothesized that the transport rate of water is kinetically controlled by the dissociation of water–polymer complexes. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1439–1444, 2000     

Reactive separation of p-nitro phenol (PNP) from aqueous solution using tri-n-butyl phosphate: equilibrium and COSMO-RS studies

ABSTRACT

The present study is aimed to optimized diluent type, tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) composition and temperature for the reactive extraction of p-nitro phenol (PNP) in two different PNP concentration ranges [(0.00036–0.00646) kmol·m^?3 and (0.00646–0.01437) kmol·m^?3] as found in industrial effluents. 1-Octanol is investigated as the best diluent with TBP based on COSMO-RS theory. Equilibrium study based on mass action law is performed to find the insights of extraction mechanisms, equilibrium constant (K = 295.12 k·mol^?1) and stoichiometry (m:n = 1:1) as also confirmed by FTIR. Thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy (ΔH°), and entropy (ΔS°) are determined 27.51 K J mol^?1 and ?50.21 J mol^?1 K^?1, respectively.     

Solubility of potassium ferrate in 12 M alkaline solutions between 20°C and 60°C

The solubility of potassium ferrate (K₂FeO₄) was measured in aqueous solutions of NaOH and KOH of total concentration 12 M containing various molar ratios of KOH:NaOH in the range 12:0 to 3:9. Several analytical methods were tested for the determination of ferrate concentration. The final method chosen consisted of potentiometric titration of the ferrate sample with an alkaline solution of As₂O₃. The assumption was made that ferrate dissociates in concentrated KOH solutions predominantly to KFeO₄⁻. The solubility constant, S, defined as the product of the molar concentration of the potassium ion, K⁺, and the ferrate anion, KFeO₄⁻, was found to be 0·044 ± 0·006 mol² dm⁻⁶ for 20°C, 0·093 ± 0·004 mol² dm⁻⁶ for 40°C and 0·15 ± 0·09 mol² dm⁻⁶ for 60°C. From these results the heat of dissolution of K₂FeO₄ was calculated as −14·3 kJ mol⁻¹. At 60°C the enhanced decomposition of the ferrate at the higher temperature led to a greater deviation in solubility values compared with data for either 20°C or 40°C.     

Complexes of Hydrogen Peroxide with Dioxoactinide(VI) Species in Aqueous Carbonate and Bicarbonate Media. Formation of An(VI)–H2O2 Complexes

The spectra for 1:1 complexes formed between triscarbonatouranium(VI) + H₂O₂ and triscarbanatoneptunium(VI) + H₂O₂ are presented. The respective rates of formation (25°C, 0.05 M NA₂CO₃) are 565 ± 41 M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and (2.19 ± .01) X 10³ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. The corresponding activation parameters are ΔH* = 67.8 ± 3.2 kJ/m, 43.6 ± 2.0 kJ/m, ΔS* = 30 ± 11 J/m °K and −36 ± 7 J/m °K, respectively. The U(VI) complex appears to be stable over a period of months while the Np(VI) complex is formed as a transient species that disappears via a complex process.     

Equilibrium bulk polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan

Cationic bulk polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan has been carried out in sealed ampoules using a high vacuum technique. The polymerization is initiated with triethyl oxonium hexafluorophosphate and the equilibrium between monomer and active polymer is attained within a few hours. Specific volumes of pure monomer and polymer in solution of its own monomer have been measured. Equilibrium measurements have been performed in the 40° to 141·4°C temperature range and the ceiling temperature is estimated to be 144° ± 2°C. The effect of short polymer chains on the equilibrium is discussed briefly. Values of ΔG_lc, the free energy of polymerization of one mole of pure liquid monomer to one base-mole of amorphous polymer, are computed making allowance for the non-ideal mixing. Respective values of ?17.5 ± 0.8 kJ/mol and ?47.9 ± 2.2JK^?1mol^?1 are deduced for the corresponding ΔH_lc and ΔS_lc. ΔG_lc is also computed from published data on equilibrium polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan in various solvents and the combined results for both types of polymerization yield ΔH_lc = ?16.7 ± 0.5kJ/mol and ΔS_lc = ?45.8 ± 1.5JK^?1mol^?1 for the 20° to 140°C range.     

Theoretical Study on Thermodynamic and Detonation Properties of Polynitrocubanes

We investigated the heat of formation (Δ_fH) of polynitrocubanes using density functional theory B3LYP and HF methods with 6‐31G*, 6‐311+G**, and cc‐pVDZ basis sets. The results indicate that Δ_fH firstly decreases (nitro number m=0–2) and then increases (m=4–8) with each additional nitro group being introduced to the cubane skeleton. Δ_fH of octanitrocubane is predicted to be 808.08 kJ mol⁻¹ at the B3LYP/6‐311+G** level. The Gibbs free energy of formation (Δ_fG) increases by about 40–60 kJ mol⁻¹ with each nitro group being added to the cubane when the substituent number is fewer than 4, then Δ_fG increases by about 100–110 kJ mol⁻¹ with each additional group being attached to the cubic skeleton. Both the detonation velocity and the pressure for polynitrocubanes increase as the number of substituents increases. Detonation velocity and pressure of octanitrocubane are substantially larger than the famous widely used explosive cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX).     

Extraction and separation of rare earths from chloride medium with mixtures of 2‐ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono‐(2‐ethylhexyl) ester and sec‐nonylphenoxy acetic acid

BACKGROUND: 2‐ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono‐(2‐ethylhexyl) ester (HEHEHP, H₂A₂) has been applied extensively to the extraction of rare earths. However, there are some limitations to its further utilization and the synergistic extraction of rare earths with mixtures of HEHEHP and another extractant has attracted much attention. Organic carboxylic acids are also a type of extractant employed for the extraction of rare earths, e.g. naphthenic acid has been widely used to separate yttrium from rare earths. Compared with naphthenic acid, sec‐nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA100, H₂B₂) has many advantages such as stable composition, low solubility, and strong acidity in the aqueous phase. In the present study, the extraction of rare earths with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100 has been investigated. The separation of the rare earth elements is also studied. RESULTS: The synergistic enhancement coefficient decreases with increasing atomic number of the lanthanoid. A significant synergistic effect is found for the extraction of La³⁺ as the complex LaH₂ClA₂B₂ with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100. The equilibrium constant and thermodynamic functions obtained from the experimental results are 10^?0.92 (K_AB), 13.23 kJ mol^?1 (ΔH), 5.25 kJ mol^?1 (ΔG), and 26.75 J mol^?1 K^?1 (ΔS), respectively. CONCLUSION: Graphical and numerical methods have been successfully employed to determine the stoichiometries for the extraction of La³⁺ with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100. The mixtures have different extraction effects on different rare earths, which provides the possibility for the separation of yttrium from heavy rare earths at an appropriate ratio of HEHEHP and CA100. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO over the doped perovskite oxide YBa2Cu3O7-x catalysts

Perovskite oxide structured YBa₂Cu₃O₇-x(YBCO) has been first prepared by carbonate precipitation and then modified with palladium or ruthenium by impregnation on the perovskite oxide, while cobalt was co-precipitated simultaneously in the same pH range with perovskite oxide. After characterization the catalysts were used in the temperature range 300–450°C, in the pressure range 1–9 atmospheres and for H₂/CO ratios in the range 1–4 in a differential plug flow reactor for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to give hydrocarbons. The perovskite oxide (YBCO) 20% (w/w) and doped 2% (w/w) cobalt oxide catalyst were prepared by the wet chemical method from their nitrate solutions and oxidized at 950°C. Perovskite oxide (Dursun, G. & Winterbottom, J. M., J. Chem. Technol Biotechnol. 63 (1995) 113–16) was also doped with palladium and ruthenium metal by impregnation followed by oxidation at 250°C. The catalysts prepared were characterized by using TemperatureProgrammed Reduction (TPR) to observe the reduction temperature and also to measure total and metal surface area. The modified perovskite oxide on alumina, ruthenium- and cobalt-doped catalysts, has been shown to give a better conversion and also selectivity towards saturated hydrocarbons compared with palladium-doped catalyst. The temperature effect of these catalysts is more consistent, giving a steady increase of conversion with increasing temperature. Although increase of pressure increases the conversion, it causes very little change in product distribution. The activation energy of palladium- and ruthenium-doped, and cobalt co-precipitated catalysts for the reaction has been measured to be 55 kJ mol⁻¹, 75 kJ mol⁻¹ and 50 kJ mol⁻¹ respectively. A general rate equation of the form r=k[H₂]^m[CO]ⁿ has been observed and found to be applicable at the pressures and temperatures used for the catalytic system studied and found to be m≌1·0 for palladium-doped, m≌1·2 for ruthenium-doped and m≌0·95 for cobalt co-precipitated catalysts as n becomes zero or negligibly less than zero. The mechanism of reaction to produce hydrocarbons from syngas has been deduced from the results. It appeared that the carbon monoxide insertion mechanism has been more evident for palladium-doped catalysts whereas the carbide mechanism plays the main role for the ruthenium-doped and cobalt co-precipitated catalysts. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Factors affecting silver biosorption by an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Factors affecting silver biosorption by Saccharomyces cerevisiae biomass, obtained as a waste product from industry, were examined. Maximum removal of silver from solution was achieved within 5 min. Increasing the concentration of biomass in experimental flasks from 1 to 8 mg cm⁻³ decreased both silver accumulation, from 224·7 to 89·5 μmol Ag g⁻¹ dry wt, and associated H⁺ ion release, from 109·4 to 31·7 μmol H⁺ g⁻¹ dry wt. The presence of 1·0 mol dm⁻³ cadmium or methionine decreased silver biosorption by 40% and 93% respectively. Boiling in 100 mmol dm⁻³ NaOH or 10 mmol dm⁻³ sodium dodecyl sulphate decreased silver biosorption by 54% and 25% respectively. A temperature increase from 4°C to 55°C decreased silver biosorption by 9%. The metabolic state of the yeast had no effect on silver biosorption. Decreasing the pH of the silver solution caused a reduction in metal removal by the biomass.     

Removal of 1,1′-Dimethyl-4,4′bipyridyl Dichloride from Aqueous Solution by Natural and Activated Bentonite

The sorption of 1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′bipyridilium dichloride (paraquat) on bentonite desiccated at 110°C untreated, and acid-treated with H₂SO₄ solutions over a concentration range between 0·25 M and 1·00 M , from aqueous solution at 30°C has been studied by using batch experiments. In addition, column experiments were carried out with the bentonite sample treated with the 1·00 M H₂SO₄ solution [B-A(1·00)] by using two aqueous solutions of paraquat of different concentrations (C = 29·40 mg dm⁻³ and C = 65·38 mg dm⁻³). The experimental data points have been fitted to the Langmuir equation in order to calculate the sorption capacities (X_m) of the samples; X_m values range from 1·35×10⁵ mg kg⁻¹ for the sample acid-treated with 0·375 M H₂SO₄ [B-A(0·375)] up to 1·96×10⁵ mg kg⁻¹ for the untreated bentonite [B-N]. The removal efficiency (R) has also been calculated; R values ranging from 44·61% for the [B-A(0·375)] sample up to 67·23% for B-N. The batch experiments show that the natural bentonite is more effective than the acid-treated bentonite in relation to sorption of paraquat. The column experiments show that the B-A(1·00) sample might be reasonably used in removing paraquat, the column efficiency increasing from 37·55% for the C = 65·38 mg dm⁻³ aqueous solution of paraquat up to 66·58% for the C = 29·40 mg dm⁻³ one. © 1997 SCI.     

Kinetic study of the reaction between hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene and isophorone diisocyanate in bulk by quantitative FTIR spectroscopy

A kinetic study of the reaction between a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) was carried out in the bulk state by using quantitative Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The reaction is shown to obey a second-order rate law, being first order in both the HTPB and IPDI concentrations. The activation parameters obtained from the evaluation of kinetic data are ΔH‡ = 41.1 ± 0.4 kJ mol, ΔS‡ = −198 ± 2 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ and E_a = 43.8 ± 0.4 kJ mol⁻¹, which are quite different from the solution values. However, they are in agreement with the results obtained on propellants by torsional braid measurements. The large negative value of the activation entropy is indicative of an associative mechanism, which is in accord with the second-order rate law for the polyurethane formation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1979–1983, 1997     

Solvent extraction of Zn(II) by Cyanex 923 and its application to a solid‐supported liquid membrane system

The extraction of zinc(II) by Cyanex 923 (phosphine oxides mixture) in Solvesso 100 from hydrochloric acid solution has been investigated. The extraction reaction is exothermic. The numerical analysis of metal distribution data suggests the formation of ZnCl₂·L₂,HZnCl₃·2L and H₂ZnCl₄·2L(L = ligand) in the organic phase with formation constants K_ext = 4.1,5.6 × 10⁹ and 6.7 × 10⁹, respectively. The results obtained for zinc(II) distribution have been implemented in a solid‐supported liquid membrane system. The influence of source phase stirring speed, membrane composition and metal concentration on zinc transport have been investigated. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Improved Synthesis and X‐Ray Structure of 5‐Aminotetrazolium Nitrate

5‐Aminotetrazolium nitrate was synthesized in high yield and characterized using Raman and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N). The molecular structure of 5‐aminotetrazolium nitrate in the crystalline state was determined by X‐ray crystallography: monoclinic, P 2₁/c, a=1.05493(8) nm, b=0.34556(4) nm, c=1.4606(1) nm, β=90.548(9)°, V=0.53244(8) nm³, Z=4, ϱ=1.847 g cm⁻³, R₁=0.034, wR₂ (all data)=0.090. The thermal stability of 5‐aminotetrazolium nitrate was determined using differential scanning calorimetry; the compound decomposes at 167 °C. The enthalpy of combustion (Δ_combH) of 5‐aminotetrazolium nitrate ([CH₄N₅]⁺[NO₃]⁻) was determined experimentally using oxygen bomb calorimetry: Δ_combH([CH₄N₅]⁺[NO₃]⁻)=−6020±200 kJ kg⁻¹. The standard enthalpy of formation (Δ_fH°) of [CH₄N₅]⁺[NO₃]⁻ was obtained on the basis of quantum chemical computations at the electron‐correlated ab initio MP2 (second order Møller‐Plesset perturbation theory) level of theory using a correlation consistent double‐zeta basis set (cc‐pVTZ): Δ_fH°([CH₄N₅]⁺[NO₃]⁻(s))=+87 kJ mol⁻¹=+586 kJ kg⁻¹. The detonation velocity (D) and the detonation pressure (P) of 5‐aminotetrazolium nitrate were calculated using the empirical equations by Kamlet and Jacobs: D([CH₄N₅]⁺[NO₃]⁻)=8.90 mm μs⁻¹ and P([CH₄N₅]⁺[NO₃]⁻)=35.7 GPa.     

Kinetics of thermal inactivation of transglutaminase from a newly isolated Bacillus circulans BL32

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the modeling of the kinetics of thermal inactivation of transglutaminase (TGase) from a newly isolated Bacillus circulans BL32, isolated from the Amazon environment. The purified enzyme was incubated at temperatures ranging from 30 to 70 °C and values of the thermodynamic inactivation parameters, such as activation energy (ΔE), activation enthalpy (ΔH), activation entropy (ΔS), and free energy (ΔG) for thermal inactivation, were calculated. RESULTS: The kinetics of TGase thermo‐inactivation followed a Lumry–Eyring model. The enzyme was very stable up to 50 °C, with approximately 50% of activity remaining after heating for 12 h. It was completely inactivated by incubation at 70 °C for 2 min. ΔE for TGase was 350.5 kJ mol^?1. ΔH and ΔS for thermo‐inactivation of the TGase were 347.8 kJ mol^?1 and 744 J mol^?1 K^?1 at 50 °C, respectively. Dynamic light scattering measurements suggest that the thermal inactivation of this microbial TGase can be partially attributed to the formation of aggregates. CONCLUSION: These results provide useful information about the thermal characteristics of the microbial TGase from B. circulans BL32 and indicate that this enzyme could be a good candidate for industrial applications. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Purification of the Penicillium citrinum Lipase Using AOT Reversed Micelles

This work describes the extraction and back-extraction of a lipase from crude extract of Penicillium citrinum using AOT reversed micelles in isooctane. The effect of pH, ionic strength, AOT concentration on the protein forward and backward transfer at 20°C was studied. The maximum protein forward extraction (32·0%) was achieved at pH 4·0 with a 50 mmol dm⁻³ acetate buffer containing 100 mmol dm⁻³ KCl and 100 mmol dm⁻³ AOT in isooctane. Proteins were back-extracted (82·7%) to a new aqueous phase containing 100 mmol dm⁻³ pH 8·0 phosphate buffer and 1000 mmol dm⁻³ KCl. No enzyme activity could be detected either in the micellar phase or in the aqueous phase after protein back-extraction. However, the lipolytic activity was recovered after hydrophobic interaction chromatography on a Phenyl Superose column. The yield obtained for the overall process was 68% for activity, 26·4% for protein recovery and the purification factor was 810-fold. A single protein band at 33000 Da was obtained for SDS–PAGE analysis for the recovered and purified enzyme. © 1997 SCI.     

Kinetic and thermodynamic investigation of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis fed‐batch cultivation in a tubular photobioreactor using urea as nitrogen source

BACKGROUND: Fed‐batch culture allows the cultivation of Arthrospira platensis using urea as nitrogen source. Tubular photobioreactors substantially increase cell growth, but the successful use of this cheap nitrogen source requires a knowledge of the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the process. This work aims at identifying the effect of two independent variables, temperature (T) and urea daily molar flow‐rate (U), on cell growth, biomass composition and thermodynamic parameters involved in this photosynthetic cultivation. RESULTS: The optimal values obtained were T = 32 °C and U = 1.16 mmol L^?1 d^?1, under which the maximum cell concentration was 4186 ± 39 mg L^?1, cell productivity 541 ± 5 mg L^?1 d^?1 and yield of biomass on nitrogen 14.3 ± 0.1 mg mg^?1. Applying an Arrhenius‐type approach, the thermodynamic parameters of growth (ΔH* = 98.2 kJ mol^?1; ΔS* = ? 0.020 kJ mol^?1 K^?1; ΔG* = 104.1 kJ mol^?1) and its thermal inactivation ( kJ mol^?1; kJ mol^?1 K^?1; kJ mol^?1) were estimated. CONCLUSIONS: To maximize cell growth T and U were simultaneously optimized. Biomass lipid content was not influenced by the experimental conditions, while protein content was dependent on both independent variables. Using urea as nitrogen source prevented the inhibitory effect already observed with ammonium salts. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Water sorption in amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The water sorption characteristics of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) amorphous samples of 250 μm thickness have been studied at various temperatures in a saturated atmosphere. Concerning diffusivity, one can distinguish the following two domains characterized by distinct values of the activation energy: E_D ≈ 36 kJ mol⁻¹ at T > 100°C, and E_D ≈ 42 kJ mol⁻¹ at T < 60°C, with a relatively wide (60–100°C) intermediary domain linked to the glass transition of the polymer. The crystallization of this latter occurs in the time scale of diffusion above 80°C but doesn't change the Fickian character of sorption curves. The equilibrium concentration m_∞ is an increasing function of temperature, but the solubility coefficient S decreases sharply with this latter, with the apparent enthalpy of dissolution ΔH_s being of the order of −28 kJ mol⁻¹ at T < 80°C and −45 kJ mol⁻¹ at T > 80°C. Density measurements in the wet and dry states suggest that water is almost entirely dissolved in the amorphous matrix at T < 80°C but forms partially a separated phase at T > 80°C. Microvoiding can be attributed to crystallization-induced demixing. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 1131–1137, 1999