Differential permeation and absorption of water vapor in polyacrylamide film

An investigation has been made of successive differential absorption and differential permeation of water vapor in polyacrylamide a t 30°C. The successive differential ab sorptions showed two types of non-Fickian anomalies: sigmoid type and two-stage type curves. The experimental data have been analyzed in terms of the Fick diffusion equation assuming a time-dependent approach of the surface concentration. The calculated family of absorption curves agreed with the experimental results. The permeation curves in the region of high and low pressure increments were apparently normal, but at medium pressures they showed anomalous behavior. It was found that in the differential type of permeation experiment the stress effect induced by a concentration gradient between the surfaces of the film was eliminated. By assuming the time-dependent approach of the equilibrium surface concentration, we calculated the time lag as a function of film thickness and applied the theory to the data for permeation through polyacrylamide film with different film thicknesses a t relatively small pressure intervals. The rate parameter calculated from permeation data was found to be in good agreement with that from successive differential absorption data.