Indirect measurement of tensile strength of hollow fiber braid membranes

In order to estimate the tensile strength (σβ) of hollow fiber braid membrane, two linear equations relating interfacial shear strength (τ) and σβ were formulated. The first involves a simple τ equation and the second includes an intercept value that represents the maximum load for σβ. The two equations were confirmed experimentally by three sets of tests. The experimental data were analyzed with linear plots to indirectly calculate σβ of the coated layer. All the experimental results of both σβ and τ showed good agreements with the calculated values. It is noted the test methods and the corresponding theories are quite reliable to test the hollow fiber braid membranes. Other factors such as membrane structures, pore size and thickness were also correlated to tensile strengths of different samples. The method developed is very simple and handy in terms of providing comparable data information which is useful when choosing appropriate membrane products for various applications.