Effect of CO₂ sorption and desorption on the creep response of polycarbonate

Abstract

Abstract In this article, experimental results on the effect of CO 2 sorption and desorption on the creep response of polycarbonate (PC) are presented. Tensile specimens machined from PC sheets were exposed to CO 2 and the absorbed gas mass fraction ranged from 0.045 to 0.12. The creep/creep recovery response of as‐received PC, saturated PC, and saturation‐cycled PC was characterized. It was found that the saturated PC showed a creep behavior similar to heating the PC to its glass transition temperature. The creep compliance of saturation‐cycled PC was found to change with the desorption or aging time. The tests on PC saturated and then desorbed for up to 60 days showed that the effects of exposure to CO 2 on PC creep properties persist long after the gas has left the polymer, and could be permanent. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1639–1644, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers