Molecular Transport of Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer
The transport behaviour of aromatic hydrocarbons in crosslinked ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) has been studied in the temperature interval of 28-60°C. EPDM rubber was vulcanized by four different systems viz, Conventional (CV), Efficient (EV), Semi-efficient (SEV) and Sulphurless (S-less). The samples were cured to the same crosslink density. EPDM vulcanized with the sulphurless system showed highest solvent uptake tendency and that vulcanized with semi-efficient system showed the lowest. The influence of penetrant size on sorption behaviour of EPDM has been examined. In all systems the mechanism of diffusion showed an anomalous behaviour. From the diffusion data, the activation energies of diffusion and penetration, enthalpy and entropy of sorption, interaction parameter etc. were evaluated. Comparison between theoretical and experimental diffusion results were carried out.