Preparation of Electrosprayed Microporous Membranes

Abstract

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which is also called as “TEFLON” is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has wide applications due to its differentiating properties. In this study, different PTFE dispersions for preparation of polytetrafluoroethylene mesoporous active membranes doped by basalt and carbon particles which were created in high voltage electrostatic field has been studied. The adjusting of process parameters of common electrospinning system (Nanospider) for preparation of membranes with tunable porosity created by nanofibrous assembly (electrospinning) and interconnected particles (electrospraying) has also been investigated. The nanoparticles based on milled basalt and carbon was used for activation and achieving of special effects. Superhydrophobic Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microporous membranes with different surface structures were obtained by controlling operating parameters in the electrospinning process. The diameters and microstructure of the PTFE microporous membrane were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The contact angles on the microporous membranes were evaluated by static micro-drop observation, and a modified Yang equation was applied to analyze the contact angles. The superhydrophobic PTFE microporous membranes were also tested for thermal properties. As a result of this study, optimized PTFE blend solutions were identified. The results also revealed that the specific surface area was the key factor affecting the contact angles. The thermal properties revealed that thermal conductivity was higher and thermal resistance was lower for carbon and basalt doped membranes.