ADSORPTION OF RARE GASES ON POLY(VINYL CHLORIDE)

Adsorption of argon and krypton on a high area poly(vinyl chloride) adsorbent in the temperature range 65-75°K was investigated. Enthalpies, entropies and free energies of adsorption were evaluated from the isotherms. The enthalpy of adsorption of argon was found to be 1.94 kcal/mole at a coverage of 0.9 monolayer, a value higher than that found on fluorocarbons or unsubstitutes hydrocarbon polymers but lower than that for poly(methylmethacrylate). Several lines of evidence indicate that the adsorbent is highly heterogeneous with respect to adsorption energies. The spreading pressures indicate that high area polymeric adsorbents may have abnormally high surface free energies. © 1969.