Is Henry's Law Applicable to Moisture Adsorption on Polymers?

[wenzhe2092]

Dear all,

I'm trying to relate the concentration of moisture in an external environment with the concentration of moisture on the surface of a polymer. This is an adsorption and is it right to relate it using Henry's law? What is the explanation for this?

On a side note, what happens when moisture is adsorbed onto the surface of the polymer? Is it still a vapour or liquid?

I hope you can point me to some good sources or books that may be able to assist me in understanding this.

Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Wen

 

[Valerie Park]

JieYes, Henry's law is applicable to the relationship between the concentration of moisture in an external environment and the concentration of moisture on the surface of a polymer. The law states that the solubility of a gas in a liquid is proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid. In other words, the higher the concentration of moisture in the atmosphere, the higher the concentration of moisture on the surface of the polymer. When moisture is adsorbed onto the surface of the polymer, it remains in the form of a vapour. This is because the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid is still greater than the vapour pressure of the liquid, allowing the vapour to remain in its gaseous state. To better understand this concept, you may want to consult some textbooks on material science and chemistry. In particular, textbooks such as Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction by William D. Callister, Jr., and Principles of Polymer Systems by F. Rodriguez, may be helpful.