Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Modelling Sorption Thermodynamics and Mass Transport of n-Hexane in a Propylene-Ethylene Elastomer

Daniele Tammaro
,
Lorenzo Lombardi
ORCID logo ,
Giuseppe Scherillo
ORCID logo ,
Ernesto Di Maio
,
Navanshu Ahuja
,
Giuseppe Mensitieri 1
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 28 February 2021 / Approved: 2 March 2021 / Online: 2 March 2021 (12:21:47 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 5 March 2021 / Approved: 8 March 2021 / Online: 8 March 2021 (16:09:15 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Tammaro, D.; Lombardi, L.; Scherillo, G.; Di Maio, E.; Ahuja, N.; Mensitieri, G. Modelling Sorption Thermodynamics and Mass Transport of n-Hexane in a Propylene-Ethylene Elastomer. Polymers 2021, 13, 1157. Tammaro, D.; Lombardi, L.; Scherillo, G.; Di Maio, E.; Ahuja, N.; Mensitieri, G. Modelling Sorption Thermodynamics and Mass Transport of n-Hexane in a Propylene-Ethylene Elastomer. Polymers 2021, 13, 1157.

Abstract

Optimization of post polymerization devolatilization process of polyolefin elastomers (POE) is of considerable industrial interest. To this aim, experimental determination and theoretical interpretation of the thermodynamics and mass transport properties of POE-solvent mixtures is relevant. Sorption behaviour of n-hexane vapour in a commercial propylene-ethylene elastomer (V8880 VistamaxxTM from ExxonMobil) is addressed here, determining experimentally the sorption isotherms at temperatures ranging from 115 to 140 °C and pressure values of n-hexane vapour up to 1 atm. Sorption isotherms have been interpreted with the Non-Random-Hydrogen-Bonding Equation of State model retrieving, from data fitting, the value of the binary interaction parameter for the n-hexane/V8880 system. Both the case of temperature-independent and of temperature-dependent binary interaction parameter have been considered. Sorption kinetics was also investigated at different pressures and has been interpreted using a Fick’s model determining values of the mutual diffusivity as a function of temperature and of n-hexane/V8880 mixture composition. From these values, n-hexane intra-diffusion coefficient has been calculated interpreting its dependence on mixture concentration and temperature by a semi-empiric model based on free volume arguments.

Keywords

polyolefin elastomer; n-hexane; sorption thermodynamics; NRHB; diffusivity

Subject

Physical Sciences, Acoustics

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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