Confinement effect in PC/MXD6 multilayer films: Impact of the microlayered structure on water and gas barrier properties

Abstract

The transport properties were specifically investigated from water and gas permeation kinetics, and the corresponding permeation parameters were determined. The confinement effect of MXD6 in the multilayer structure was highlighted by comparing the permeability predicted from the series model equation with the experimental data. Although the MXD6 layers were not homogeneous and continuous for all membranes, water and gas permeabilities of the PC/MXD6 multilayer film were largely reduced. Such improvement of barrier properties was related to the change of the MXD6 structure, considering that the confinement of the MXD6 layers induced by PC layers allowed to bring chain orientation and to reduce the chain segment mobility in the MXD6 amorphous constrained zones. In addition, in the case of a PC/MXD6 multilayer structure well defined with continuous layers and relatively homogeneous thicknesses, the degree of crystallinity was slightly increased.