Modeling of uni-axial stretching of track-etch membranes

Finite element analysis was used to predict the uni-axial deformation of poly(ethylene teraphthalate) (PET) track-etch membranes. Model track-etch membranes were constructed in AutoCAD and imported into ABAQUS, a finite element solver commonly used for deformation modeling. Two models were constructed, one in three-dimensions and the other in two-dimensions. The results of the models were in statistical agreement, so two-dimensional modeling was preferred to reduce computation time. Major and minor axes lengths were computed and compared to experimental results of elongated membranes. The two-dimensional model using simple expressions for physical property data was successful in capturing the uni-axial deformation behavior for track-etch membranes of 0.6, 2 and 10 μm pore size.