In-situ measurements of the plasticization of polymers by gases using a high-pressure DSC

A high-pressure differential scanning calorimeter is described for measuring in-situ the change in the glass transition temperature of a polymer while in equilibrium with a high pressure gas. The DSC can use a sample size to about 100 mg and, presently, its pressure rating is 10 MPa. Measurements were made on PS-CO2 as a test case; the results are in excellent agreement with the literature values. New results for the systems PS-HFC134a and PVC-CO2 are also presented.