Determining the effects of vapor sorption in polymers with the quartz crystal microbalance/heat conduction calorimeter

The quartz crystal microbalance/heat conduction calorimeter (QCM/HCC) is a versatile instrument coupling both gravimetric and calorimetric techniques. The QCM/HCC is used to probe vapor sorption in thin films. Three parameters are measured simultaneously as a thin film undergoes vapor sorption, namely: mass changes in the film (±10 ng), corresponding thermal effects upon vapor sorption (±100 nW), and motional resistance (±0.5Ω) changes within the film. A range of film thicknesses (0.75 to 8.5 μm) of the polymer, Tecoflex™ are cast on QCMs and the interaction of each film with ethanol and water is determined. From the direct calorimetric measurements, sorption enthalpies (ΔsorptionH kJ/mol) are determined for the film–vapor interactions. Sorption isotherms are then analyzed for each film. The isotherms shown here generally display a linear Henry's Law dissolution relationship between the vapor pressure and the amount of vapor sorbed into the film. Motional resistance data provides a window to view viscoelastic effects of the polymer films upon vapor sorption. Motional resistance data are compared for ethanol sorption in a relatively thin (0.75 μm) and thicker (8.5 μm) Tecoflex™ film. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3893–3906, 2004