SORPTION OF N-BUTANE, PROPANE, AND ETHANE IN ETHYLCELLULOSE

The sorption of n-butane, propane, and ethane in ethylcellulose has been investigated between 0 and 200 mm Hg pressure over the temperature range from 30 to 70 degree C. Sorption isotherms of n-butane, propane, and ethane in ethylcellulose suggest that both Henry's law and the Langmuir forms of sorption, are operative. Sorption data were analyzed using the dual sorption model and sorption parameters determined. The sorption attributed to the Langmuir mode decreases as the temperature increases. This result indicates that the non-linear Langmuir mode of sorption is more characteristic of the glassy state than sorption represented by the Henry's law mode. It was found that sorption attributed to the Henry's law and Langmuir modes decreases as the molecular size of gaseous hydrocarbon penetrants decrease. In this study, the molecular size of gaseous molecule decreased as the gases studied changed from n-butane to propane to ethane. A correlation of the Henry's law constants for the solution of n-butane, propane, and ethane in ethylcellulose with the Lennard-Jones force constants, epsilon / kappa at different temperatures was also determined. The temperature dependence of the Henry's law constants were correlated by a van't Hoff relationship and heats of sorption determined.