Investigation of the molecular transport of aliphatic and aromatic esters into engineering polymer membranes

Molecular transport as manifested by sorption and diffusion of organic esters into engineering polymer membranes, viz. nitrile butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, neoprene and natural rubber, has been investigated in the temperature range 25–60°C by the sorption gravimetric technique. The sorption equilibrium for ethylene propylene diene terpolymer was lower than those of the other polymers with all the liquids. Diffusion and permeation coefficients were obtained for the polymer-solvent systems and these follow Arrhenius type behaviour in the temperature range investigated.