SBIR Phase II: High-Efficiency Poly(Tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) Membranes

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the need for improved filtration in the semiconductor industry, where exceptional chemical stability, thermal stability, and purity make poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) the media of choice. GVD has successfully demonstrated unprecedented filtration efficiencies for the retention of 20 nm size particles using PTFE membranes. The asymmetric structure of the GVD membranes avoided > 90% of the increase in energy utilization traditionally associated with improved filtration efficiency. The asymmetry was created using GVD's unique initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) technology. In Phase II, GVD will demonstrate large area production at a competitive cost by designing, building, and operating an iCVD roll-to-roll coater, the first of its kind in the world. The improved economics of roll-to-roll manufacturing will permit entry of a new family of PTFE membranes into a variety of markets where improvements in product quality and efficacy can be enabled by advanced filtration. These membranes can also address the separations needs of emerging industries such as nanotechnology, where unit operations at the nanometer scale still remain a challenge. More broadly, iCVD technology can produce composite membranes which marry the beneficial surface properties of PTFE with the improved mechanical strength and performance of a less costly base membrane. This could result in a family of membranes with multifunctional separations capabilities that do not sacrifice cost for efficacy.