Fabrication of highly structural hollow fiber membranes using a microfluidic device

中空纤维膜因其良好的空间效率，在水处理领域引起了人们的关注。在本研究中，发展了微流控技术来制备微米级的中空纤维膜，并对其结构进行精细控制。利用十字形微通道结构，膜材料中含有疏水聚合物的良好溶剂的管状层流在贫溶剂的层流中形成，并成功地转化为固体疏水微纤维。此外，具有两个十字形微通道结构的微流控装置也适用于中空微纤维的制备。

Hollow fiber membranes have attracted attention to water treatment processes due to their good space efficiency. In this study, microfluidic techniques have been developed to fabricate hollow fiber membranes finely controlled their structure in micrometer scale. Using a cross-shaped microchannel structure, a tubular laminar flow of good solvent containing with hydrophobic polymers, used for membrane materials, was formed in a laminar flow of poor solvent, and was successfully transformed to solid, hydrophobic microfibers. Furthermore, a microfluidic device with two cross-shaped microchannel structures was applicable to fabrication of hollow microfibers.