EFFECT OF ORGANIC-SOLVENTS ON MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF POLYCARBONATE

This study is concerned with the effect of organic solvents on the mechanical properties of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate specimens were immersed in many kinds of organic solvents or exposed to their saturated vapors. A tensile test was conducted after taking the specimens out from a glass cylinder for given periods of time. The content of solvent absorbed in polycarbonate became maximum and the mechanical properties decreased considerably when the solubility parameter of a solvent was nearly equal to that of polycarbonate. A few exceptional solvents were present. Such behavior can be also explained by the idea of solubility parameter. However, the mechanical properties do not in principle depend on the kinds of solvents, but on the amount of absorbed solvents.