Preparation of polypropylene micro/nano-fiber membranes

The micro/nano-fiber membranes have a good performance in filtering areas due to their series of unique properties. In this paper, the polypropylene (PP) micro/nano-fibers were prepared by melt extrusion of immiscible blends of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and PP and subsequent removal of the CAB matrix. The PP micro/nano-fiber membranes made by the method are analogous to papermaking. A scanning electron microscope was used to analyze the morphology of PP micro/nano-fiber membranes. A self-made device was used to evaluate the deionized water flux of PP micro/nano-fiber membranes. The results showed that the thickness of PP micro/nano-fiber membranes increased with the concentration of pulp. The appearance of PP micro/nano-fiber membranes was directly affected by the beating and dispersion process. The better PP micro/nano-fibers dispersed, a more uniform appearance of PP micro/nano-fiber membranes can be obtained. As a filter media, the permeation property of PP micro/nano-fiber membranes was significantly superior to the commercial microporous membrane.