DIFFUSION OF MOISTURE INTO 2-PHASE POLYMERS .3. CLUSTERING OF WATER IN POLYESTER RESINS

The equilibrium moisture absorption isotherm of a two-phase polyester resin system has been interpreted using both the dual mode sorption theory and an analysis proposed by Brown. Good agreement was found to exist between these two analyses as to the relative humidity at which clustering first occurs. The two-phase structure of the resin was found to have no significant effect on the equilibrium moisture isotherm. However, the average cluster number calculated for the resin is believed to result from larger clusters in the less dense phase of the resin and smaller clusters in the dense phase. © 1990 Chapman and Hall Ltd.