H2O vapor transmission rate through polyethylene naphthalate polymer using the electrical Ca test

The electrical Ca test was used to measure H2O vapor transmission through polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) polymer with a thickness of 200 μm. On the basis of the time required for the normalized conductance of the Ca film to reach zero, the H2O vapor transmission rate was determined versus H2O flux, temperature, and saturation of the PEN polymer with H2O. The H2O vapor transmission rate was proportional to the H2O flux and only weakly dependent on temperature at constant H2O flux. The transmission coefficient, Γ, for H2O through the PEN polymer at 70 °C was Γ ∼ 3.2 × 10(-10). The corresponding water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) at 70 °C/80% RH was 0.65 g/(m(2) day). The temperature dependence of the H2O vapor transmission rate through PEN at constant H2O flux yielded an activation barrier of E = 12.4 kJ/mol. There was no observable reservoir effect for H2O in the PEN polymer. The H2O vapor transmission rates for initially dry or H2O-saturated PEN polymer substrates were nearly identical at various temperatures. Although the time required for the normalized conductance of the Ca film to reach zero was inversely proportional to the H2O flux, the Ca film conductance did not decrease linearly versus H2O exposure. The Ca film conductance changed very little during initial H2O exposure. This behavior may be caused by the nonlinear oxidation kinetics of the Ca film.