COMPUTER-SIMULATION OF INORGANIC MEMBRANE MORPHOLOGY .1. STABLE SUSPENSION DEPOSITION

Predicting the morphological parameters of an inorganic membrane prepared by slip-casting a stable suspension or sol on a porous support cannot be performed using the simple models quoted in literature. A new model has been developed taking into account the specific characteristics of the sol-gel system, namely the deposition of a stable sol and thermal fluctuation effects. Porosity, tortuosity, pore diameter distribution, and short-range order (radial distribution function) have been evaluated in two and three dimensions. The effects of each modeling parameter on the deposit morphological characteristics have been discussed. Our model covers a large range of porosity. For some porosity values, the short-range structure can be modulated from a very regular to a disordered one. © 1993 by Academic Press, Inc.