We report the first simulations of
nonsolvent-induced phase separation
(NIPS) that predict membrane microstructures with graded asymmetric
pore size distribution. In NIPS, a polymer solution film is immersed
in a nonsolvent bath, enriching the film in nonsolvent, and leading
to phase separation that forms a solid polymer-rich membrane matrix
and polymer-poor membrane pores. We demonstrate how mass-transfer-induced
spinodal decomposition, thermal fluctuations, and glass-transition
dynamicsimplemented with mobility contrast between the polymer-rich
and polymer-poor phasesare essential to the formation of asymmetric
membrane microstructures. Specifically, we show that the competition
between the propagation of the phase-separation and glass-transition
fronts determines the degree of pore-size asymmetry. We also explore
the sensitivity of these microstructures to the initial film composition,
and compare their formation in 2D and 3D.
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