Sorption of Benzene, Toluene, and Ethylbenzene by Poly(ethyl methacrylate) and Plasticized Poly(ethyl methacrylate) at 298.15 K Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Solubilities of benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene (BTEX compounds, together with xylene) in poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and plasticized PEMA at 298.15 K were measured using a quartz crystal microbalance and are reported in the form of solvent activity versus solvent weight fraction. Two plasticizers, diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH) and diisooctyl azelate (DIOA), were studied, each at three different concentration levels in the polymer. The presence of a plasticizer increases the solubility of all three compounds. Data were interpreted using a pseudobinary Flory–Huggins model in which the plasticized polymer is considered to be a single pseudocomponent.