Thermal performance of polymers and degradation under oxidative conditions depends on oxygen permeation. Prediction of spatially dependent polymer degradation with DLO models or related degradation mechanistic kinetic models for lifetime extrapolations, require input of oxygen diffusivity, solubility, or overall permeability at elevated temperature. Unfortunately, such data are not always available and basic physical transport measurements can be convoluted by 'reactive chemistry' loss of oxygen. Often estimations are made from indirect measurements or theoretical approaches. This presentation will focus on the optimization of experimental approaches and data extraction, which can now be applied to characterize thin films of low permeable polymers. Checks and corrections for oxidative chemistry during the experiment can be accommodated. The O2 permeation features of a few epoxy thermo-set materials, Kapton, and polypropylene between 25 and 140�C were investigated with time-dependent flux measurements and are being compared to offer data, which so far have not been available in the literature. Interestingly, the glass transition of Epon 828/D230 epoxy at ~95�C has a significant effect on the permeability, but not the diffusion constant in an Arrhenius plot.

Oxygen diffusion through polymers at elevated temperature

248th National Meeting (2014)

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