Effects of extension on the gas permeability of hard elastic polypropylene film

Permeabilities of He, N₂, O₂, Ar, and CO₂ in stretched hard-elastic polypropylene film exhibiting extraordinarily high elasticity were measured as functions of temperature, pressure, and extension ratio. The permeability decreases slightly for strains of 10% or less, increases abruptly for strains from 15% to 30%, and then increases gradually for strains up to 100%. In recovery from extension, changes in permeability are similar to those in extension. The gas permeation mechanism is of the solution-diffusion type for extensions less than 15%. Above 15% extension, the mechanism involves permeation through voids created during deformation. The apparent mean pore size, estimated from the gas permeation, is very large at comparatively small extensions, and decreases with increasing extension. The change in specific volume accompanying extension of the sample indicates that only a very small fraction of the voids are interconnected to form channels that traverse the thickness of the film.