| Abstract: | Diffusion coefficients between 5 × 10-14 and 1 × 10-16 cm2 s-1 have been measured for diffusion of gold and silver in the glassy state of bisphenol trimethylcyclohexanen polycarbonate in the temperature range between Tg = 507 K and 420 K using the radiotracer technique in combination with ion-beam sputtering for serial sectioning. The Arrhenius plot exhibits a downward curvature, which is interpreted within an extension of the free-volume theory to the glassy state by Vrentas and Duda. The very small metal diffusivities in comparison to values for gas molecules of comparable size suggest substantial interaction energies. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 :1043–1048, 1997 |
