Thermodynamics of water sorption in poly(epsilon-caprolactone): A comparative analysis of lattice fluid models including hydrogen bond contributions

Models were analysed and compared in terms of fitting capability of the experimental sorption isotherms and, where appropriate, of predicted amount of self- and cross-hydrogen bonds which are established in the PCL-water mixture. Results confirm that, to obtain a satisfactory fitting of data, it is necessary to explicitly account for formation of hydrogen bonds. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamics of water sorption in poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) has been interpreted by using three models based on compressible lattice fluid theories, addressing the issue of self- and cross-hydrogen bond interactions. The models, available in the literature, are of increasing complexity and consist of a compressible lattice fluid term which could account or not for non-randomness of contacts and, in the case of two of the models, of a hydrogen bonding contribution.