Pore modification using the supercritical solution infiltration method

When a supercritical (SC) solution infiltrates through micropores, its pressure will fall off considerably along the flow direction, and significant solute supersaturation can be obtained inside the pores. Thus the solid solute can deposit onto the pore surface due to nucleation. The supercritical solution infiltration (SCSI) method was applied to modify porous ceramic membranes. A mathematical model was used for the membrane pore-size change during the SCSI process. Numerical solution of this model showed that for a membrane with initial pore-size distribution (PSD), its average pore size could be increased or decreased due to dissimilar kinetics of the solute precipitation under different conditions. alpha-Al2O3 microfiltration membranes were modified by the SCSI method using SC solution of the aluminum isopropoxide/propane system under different conditions. The PSD change was determined for the modified membranes after hydrolysis and sintering. With the reduction in permeability, the average pore size was reduced when the process conditions were more favorable for homogeneous nucleation and increased under the opposite conditions. Experimental results qualitatively coincided with those by the proposed model.