Gas Permeation of Sulfur Thin-Films and Potential as a Barrier Material.

Elemental sulfur was formed into poly(ether sulfone)-supported thin-films (ca. 10 µm) via a melt-casting process. Observed permeabilities of C2H4, CO2, H2, He, and N2 through the sulphur thin-films were <1 barrer. The sulfur thin-films were observed to age over a period of ca. 15 days, related to the reversion of polymerized sulfur to the S8 allotrope. This structural conversion was observed to correlate with an increase in the permeability of all gases.