Evaluation of the Interactions Between Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Polymeric Materials. 1994.

TURI Technical Report No. 12. In this report, we present (1) the results of testing a broad spectrum of polymers in carbon dioxide over a range of temperatures and pressures and (2) the evaluation of the effect of high-pressure carbon dioxide on the chemical/physical properties of the polymers. The carbon dioxide conditions included both super and subcritical points. The testing was performed, in a static manner, with four controlled variables: temperature, pressure, treatment time, and decompression time. The evaluation of the interactions between high-pressure carbon dioxide and polymers included absorption, swelling, solubility, plasticization, crystallization, and mechanical properties. The results of these evaluations are discussed in three sections: "I. Absorption, Swelling, and Dissolution of Carbon Dioxide in Polymers at Elevated Pressure," "II. Thermal Properties," and "III Mechanical Properties." This report resulted from direct collaboration and funding from the following sources: Los Alamos National Laboratory; Toxics Use Reduction Institute, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; International Business Machines