Most polymer membranes for water filtration are made by a phase inversion
process, such as immersion precipitation, solvent evaporation, or
thermal-induced phase separation. These processes can form a wide variety of
membrane structures, membrane structure in turn determines properties such as
permeability, selectivity and strength. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of
structure formation are largely unknown, making membrane engineering a process
of trial and error. Opennovation Principal Adam
Powell's phase field modeling capabilities can predict many aspects of
membrane structure, such as the presence and thickness of a skin layer.More broadly, simulations of polymer conformation dynamics during processing can improve understanding of its effects on resulting polymer structure. For example, shear during extrusion or injection molding leads to localized orientation of the polymer, which later produces residual stress in the polymer part. Powell's simulations can capture some of these effects, and help to improve design of polymer parts.
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