Flow-visualization during macrovoid pore formation in dry-cast cellulose acetate membranes

Video-microscopy flow-visualization (VMFV) is adapted to study the development of macrovoid (MV) pores in the dry-casting of cellulose acetate (CA)/acetone/water solutions. Particle tracer velocities provide the first direct evidence for the presence of solutocapillary-driven convection that can enhance mass-transfer to a MV. Three phases of MV development are observed: fast initial growth, slow growth, and collapse. During the latter, MVs were observed on occasion to initiate far from the demixing front. These studies have led to a significantly modified hypothesis for MV development. Extremely rapid initial MV growth is thought to occur owing to coalescence of dispersed phase microdroplets. To ensure net mass-transfer to a growing MV, it is postulated that a homogeneous supersaturated solution layer must exist between the demixed fluid layer and the homogeneous stable solution layer. Fast growth also involves convective mass-transfer to the MV whose surface is initially entirely immersed in this homogeneous supersaturated solution layer. Slow growth involves net transport that results from both convective mass-transfer to the MV across the portion of its surface in contact with the homogeneous supersaturated solution layer, and convective mass-transfer from the portion of its surface that extends into the homogeneous stable solution layer. Active collapse is thought to occur owing to skin formation at the MV surface. Passive collapse occurs when the convective mass-transfer from the MV in the homogeneous stable solution layer exceeds that entering the MV in the homogeneous supersaturated solution layer. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.