Fabrication of high-performance polytetrafluoroethylene microporous membranes filled with nano-alumina

In this article, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microporous membranes with excellent tensile strength and good wear durability were successfully fabricated by the addition of nano-alumina (Al 2 O 3 ). The friction and mechanical behavior of PTFE microporous membranes with different nano-Al 2 O 3 contents were investigated by Martindale abrasion tester, dynamic mechanical analysis, and universal testing machine. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to analyze the surface, longitudinal section, and worn surface of the microporous membranes. Results demonstrated that nano-Al 2 O 3 particles were dispersed into the “node” structures of PTFE microporous membranes and acted as the skeleton, leading to the increasing of the tensile strength remarkably. The wear rate reduced significantly with the addition of nano-Al 2 O 3 and was affected by nano-Al 2 O 3 content. Additionally, the wear mechanism of the microporous membranes was also discussed based on the study results.