ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Photooxidation of Hydroxyethylcellulose Changes in Physical Properties due to Corona Discharge

J. Polavka and L. Lapčík

Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Slovak Technical University, CS-812 37 Bratislava

Abstract: The photooxidation of hydroxyethylcellulose by the action of corona discharge in air was studied at 25°C. The influence of exposure on physical properties of polymer film was examined. It has been found that the transport process of diffusion of the distilled water into the polymer obeys the second Fick's law in the first period of one. The measured average apparent diffusion coefficient of the studied system varies in the interval (2.1-15.2) x 10^-10 m² s^-1 and decreases with exposure in an equal manner as the activation energies of diffusion which vary in the interval (23.3-57.5) kJ mol^-1. On the basis of limiting contact angle measurements the temperature of glass transition was determined. It has been found that the preponderance of the cross-linking process over photodestruction of the polymer is significantly influenced by the time of irradiation by low-temperature plasma of corona source.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 465a343.pdf

Chemical Papers 46 (5) 343–347 (1992)