Interaction of organic vapours with hydroxypropyl cellulose

The interaction of a number of organic vapours with hydroxypropyl cellulose was measured by gas chromatographic (g.c.) methods. The limiting Flory-Huggins interaction parameters at infinite dilution of vapour in polymer were readily evaluated, but the g.c. data did not provide a route to the solubility parameter for the polymer. The temperature dependence of the g.c. retention volumes for several vapours indicated what may be a glass transition for hydroxypropyl cellulose at ∼10°C. Sorption isotherms for acetone, ethanol and tetrahydrofuran were measured with a vacuum microbalance, and the results were compared with theory.