Preparation and comparison of electrospun PEO/PTFE and PVA/PTFE nanofiber membranes for syringe filters

The fabrication of a high-performance PTFE membrane remains challenging and still under interest. Electrospinning is one of the possible fabrication methods for PTFE membranes. But, due to the high solvent resistance and the high melt viscosity, PTFE emulsion should be blended with a carrier polymer solution and then it can be electrospinned. In this study, PTFE membranes were produced with four different ratios of PVA and PEO polymers as carrier and then sintered at 380 degrees C, to left only PTFE nanofibers behind. Produced hydrophobic PTFE membranes' WCA values were between 120-132 degrees for PEO/PTFE nanofibers and 112-124 degrees for PVA/PTFE nanofibers. SEM images revealed that PEO/PTFE membranes preserved their fibrous structure better. After sintering, diameter of 7PEO/PTFE, 8PEO/PTFE, 9PEO/PTFE, and 10PEO/PTFE nanofibers were 612, 818, 822, and 923 nm, respectively. Only 30PVA/PTFE nanofibers showed some fiber structure after sintering with evenly distributed pores. PEO/PTFE membranes were thicker than commercial syringe filter membranes and PVA/PTFE membranes and was about 0.24 p.m. Although mean pore size measurements of both PEO/PTFE and PVA/PTFE membranes were 0.90 and 1.07 p.m, respectively and higher than commercial membranes, bacterial removal tests of PEO/PTFE membrane were promising and close to commercial syringe filter results with 1.3 3log CFU/mL.