Water sorption and diffusion through saturated polyester and their nanocomposites synthesized from glycolyzed PET waste with varied composition

A new system of saturated polyester and their nanocomposites synthesized from glycolyzed PET with varied composition is investigated for the sorption and diffusion studies in water. The kinetics of sorption is studied by using the equation of transport phenomena. The values of 'n' from transport equation are found to be below '0.5', showing the non-Fickian or pseudo-Fickian transport in the polymer. The dependence of diffusion coefficient on composition and temperature has been studied for all polymeric samples. The diffusion coefficient of saturated polyester samples decreases with an increase in glycolyzed PET contents. The nanocomposite samples showless diffusion coefficient than pristine polymer and it decreases with an increase in nano-filler up to 4 wt%. The diffusion coefficient increases with an increase in temperature for all the samples. The sorption coefficient shows a little change with variation in composition as well as temperature for all the samples and it is in a range of 1. The activation energy for diffusion and permeation is positive for all the samples. The heat of sorption is also positive for all the samples, indicating Henry type mode of sorption. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.