Diffusion of iodine into PE and PET

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Abstract
We show that the Rutherford backscattering technique is very useful for studying the kinetics of diffusion processes in polymers. We have measured the diffusion of iodine into low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) by optical absorbance and by Rutherford backscattering. The optical results appear to be normal, and show no electric field dependence, but the backscattering results reveal that this is misleading, because there is fast diffusion in the bulk accompanied by large surface concentrations of iodine. We have studied PET by the backscattering technique, and in this case the behavior corresponds to a weakly concentration‐dependent diffusion coefficient with no observable surface effects. Neither set of results gives support to the domain theories of low‐frequency electrical oscillation in these materials.

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