New performance of hydrophobic fluorinated porous membranes exhibiting particulate-like morphology

Super-hydrophobic PVDF-HYFLON AD membranes have been tailored using easy and no cost-effective manufacturing techniques. Modulated pore size and high overall porosity have been achieved for PVDF membranes according to the changes in the spherulite network of the films. Morphology-property relationships have been found, confirming the key role of the structural parameters in the final performance of PVDF membranes. Enhanced mass transfer of water vapour and higher resistance to the wettability have been detected with increasing pore size. The reduction of the degree of the spherulite compactness has been shown to cause weakness of the PVDF membrane mechanical strength. This drawback has been overcome by combining PVD and HYFLON 60X AD, resulting in a new class of composite membranes exhibiting high water-repellence, high mass transfer and enhanced mechanical resistance.