Determining the Compressive Behavior of an Ultra-Thin Elastoviscoplastic Membrane Used in Sealing a Microchannel Hemodialyser

In past efforts, the conditions were determined for the hermetic sealing of a microchannel hemodialyser produced by pressing a hot-embossed polycarbonate microchannel lamina containing sealing bosses, against a 25 μm thick elastoviscoplastic hemodialysis membrane. In this paper, a procedure is developed for quantifying the compressive mechanical behavior of the membrane during loading. An energy balance, of the work of clamping to the strain energy within the membrane, is used to derive a model for predicting the force required to seal the membrane. The force model is used to predict the force required to press a boss a certain distance into the membrane, providing validation of the procedure for measuring the compressive properties of ultra-thin elastoviscoplastic membranes.