Relationship between Permeability and Structure of CO₂-Assisted Polymer Compression Products

Membrane filters were fabricated from polyethylene terephthalate nonwoven fabrics with an average fiber diameter of 8 & mu;m using the CO2-assisted polymer compression method. The filters were subjected to a liquid permeability test and structural analysis was performed using X-ray computed tomography to evaluate the tortuosity, pore size distribution, and percentage of open pores. Based on the results, filter tortuosity was proposed to be a function of porosity. Pore size estimated from the permeability test and X-ray computed tomography were in rough agreement. The ratio of open pores to all pores was as high as 98.5%, even at a porosity of 0.21. This may be due to the process of exhausting trapped high-pressure CO2 after molding. For filter applications, a high open-pore ratio is desirable since it means that many pores are involved in the fluid flow. The CO2-assisted polymer compression method was found to be suitable for the production of porous materials for filters.