Relaxation of a hydrophilic polymer induced by moisture desorption through the glass transition

Abstract

Regarding the underlying special relaxation feature of a water-plasticized hydrophilic polymer during performance evolution with water content change, we report the water desorption kinetics and periodic creep responses of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films subsequent to rejuvenation by above-glass transition relative humidity (RH) annealing and following RH-jump at various rates. A Moisture Sorption Analyzer and a Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer are utilized to control RH and to capture data to probe the evolving relaxation towards equilibrium under two temperature–RH conditions. This result reveals an evident jump rate dependence of desorption kinetics and recoverable creep deformation. The different target RH yields the different change patterns of normalized water content and retardation time. PVA manifests a rapid relaxation stage with the special viscoelastic response before experience of usual physical aging. By analysis of the superposition principle and the relevant characteristic parameters, the relaxation of the hydrophilic polymer after water desorption through the glass transition is generalized as three successive phases.