Aging and history effects in solvent-induced glass transition of polymer films

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Published 20 October 2006 2006 EDP Sciences
, , Citation F. Doumenc et al 2006 EPL 76 630 DOI 10.1209/epl/i2006-10309-0

0295-5075/76/4/630

Abstract

Aging and history in glassy polymer films are investigated in the frame of solvent-induced glass transition. By decreasing the pressure of a solvent vapour surrounding a polymer film, the film goes from the rubbery swollen state to the glassy dry state. Gravimetry experiments in a pressure-controlled chamber were performed to analyse aging behaviour for different kinds of solvent vapour pressure cycles.Results are utterly different from those obtained with equivalent temperature cycles: no marked memory effect can be shown; very important hysteresis at small activity as well as complex behaviour of the melting time according to the quench amplitude have been observed. This behaviour may be related to the coupled evolution of two variables, the free volume and the solvent fraction.

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10.1209/epl/i2006-10309-0