Abstract
Solubility and diffusivity measurements of CO2 have been used to measure amount of residual porosity (excess volume) and the kinetics of its removal in latex films cast from a terpolymer of butyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, and vinyl chloride. The pore volume fraction is very small, ranging from 0.5–0.05% for latex films aged from 62 hrs to 480 hrs, respectively. Long-term aging kinetics can be followed by sorbing to equilibrium at constant CO2 pressure and temperature, and following the weight loss as the sample relaxes and CO2 diffuses out. Relaxation data obtained at temperatures ranging from 25–50°C could be superimposed on a single master curve using the WLF equation. The implications these results have concerning the morphology of the residual porosity in latex films are discussed.