Investigation of gel-spun PAN fiber morphology by membrane technology techniques

Abstract

Abstract:The as-formed structure of gel-spun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber from the solvent mixture system has been probed exploiting AFM techniques developed in the membrane industry. The surface structure of PAN membranes, prepared by phase transition under different casting conditions, was investigated by tapping mode atomic force microscopy. The results obtained show that the size and the density of these aggregates are dependent on the casting solution, namely on the type and concentration of the non-solvent. In the present work, tapping mode atomic force microscopy is used to comply with the main objective of differentiating surface morphologies of membranes.