Multi-scales association modeling of membrane water resistance indexes

In order to quantify and predict the water resistance of membrane, a multi-scales association model was built up based on the Fick’s second law. Two water resistance indexes, balance time and seepage velocity, were put forward and calculated by the model for measuring the property of membrane water resistance. The association model linked macro-scale factors and micro-scale parameters together. The influence of macro-scale factors, environmental temperature and membrane thickness, and micro-scale parameters, water molecules diffusivity, membrane saturated water absorption rate and water escape concentration, were discussed. The properties of water resistances for two groups including 10 waterborne acrylate membranes samples were measured for validating the indexes calculated by the model. The well consistency between the results of calculations and experiments proved that the method of multi-scales association modeling for quantifying and predicting the membrane water resistance was feasible.