Transport characteristics and other physicochemical properties of aged poly(1‐(trimethylsilyl)‐1‐;propyne)

Samples of poly[1–(trimethylsilyl)–1–propyne] were kept for about 4 years in ambient conditions. The permeability and diffusion coefficients were examined and found to be decreased by 1–2 orders of magnitude. To ascertain the nature of the changes underwent during long-term storage of this polymer, several physicochemical methods were applied: positron annihilation, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, spin probe, and density evaluation. These studies indicated that a decrease of free volume and more close chain packing took place during the aging process. IR spectroscopy and 13C-NMR showed that oxygen-containing products appeared in the polymer after long-term storage. This should result in a certain decrease in the rigidity of the backbone chains and more intensive interchain in-teractions, and, hence, in a decrease in the free volume of the aged polymer. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.