Experimental estimation of gas-transport properties of linear low-density polyethylene membranes by an integral permeation method

Abstract

In recent years, we have investigated gas-transport phenomena in coextruded linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) membranes. For the most part, coextruded LLDPE membranes were investigated because of their excellent mechanical properties, which explain their extensive use in the packaging industry. Because of the small thickness of coextruded LLDPE membranes, significant errors can be involved in the determination of the diffusion coefficient of gases in the membranes by the time-lag method. To obtain more precise transport parameters for LLDPE membranes, we determined the permeability and diffusion coefficients for O-2, CO2, He, and N-2 from 298 to 348 K by employing an alternative method recently developed. The results indicate that the procedure used in this study for determining the diffusivity of gases in membranes was precise and more efficient than a method based on the evaluation of the time-lag parameter. With respect to permeability, the coefficients obtained in this work agree satisfactorily with those obtained by the time-lag method. In general, the permeability and diffusivity results are in satisfactory agreement with the literature values reported for semicrystalline polyethylene membranes.