Schott H
Biomaterials. 1982 Oct;3(4):195-8. doi: 10.1016/0142-9612(82)90018-7.
The polarity of polymers is commonly characterized by their solubility parameter to describe their interaction with small molecules or by their specific molar cohesion to describe interchain attraction. A linear relation between these two parameters is demonstrated. Ethylene oxide (EO) is used to sterilize containers and devices containing plastics or elastomers. The solubility parameter concept is applicable to the sorption of EO by such polymers provided crystallinity and rubbery/glassy state are taken into account. The delta value of EO, calculated from the temperature dependence of its vapour pressure, is 10.8 (cal/cm3)1/2. The highest EO solubility is in polyvinyl chloride and polycarbonate, whose solubility parameters match that of EO closely. The solubility in other polymers decreases as their solubility parameters diverge increasingly from 10.8. At comparable delta values, polymers in the rubbery state dissolve 6000 to 8000 ppm EO more than polymers in the glassy state. EO solubility in the amorphous fraction of polymers above their glass transition temperatures ranges from 20 800 ppm for plasticized polyvinyl chloride (delta = 9.2) to 800 ppm for polytetrafluorethylene (delta = 6.2).
聚合物的极性通常通过其溶解度参数来表征，以描述其与小分子的相互作用，或者通过其比摩尔内聚能来描述链间吸引力。这两个参数之间呈现出线性关系。环氧乙烷（EO）用于对含有塑料或弹性体的容器和器械进行灭菌。如果考虑到结晶度和橡胶态/玻璃态，溶解度参数概念适用于此类聚合物对EO的吸附。根据其蒸气压的温度依赖性计算得出的EO的δ值为10.8（cal/cm³）¹/²。EO在聚氯乙烯和聚碳酸酯中的溶解度最高，它们的溶解度参数与EO的溶解度参数非常匹配。在其他聚合物中的溶解度随着它们的溶解度参数与10.8的差异越来越大而降低。在可比的δ值下，橡胶态聚合物比玻璃态聚合物溶解的EO多6000至8000 ppm。在高于其玻璃化转变温度的聚合物无定形部分中，EO的溶解度范围从增塑聚氯乙烯（δ = 9.2）的20800 ppm到聚四氟乙烯（δ = 6.2）的800 ppm。
