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PC Membrane | Gold-coated

Gold-coated PC membrane

for asbestos analysis

Polycarbonate track-etched filters are especially suitable for particle analysis. This includes the testing of indoor and outdoor air to measure levels of inorganic fibers such as asbestos in accordance with VDI guidelines 3492 and 3861 and with ISO 14966. It is also easy to measure levels of dusts and powders in accordance with BIA 7487 by using track-etched membranes. i3 TrackPor membranes are also used for asbestos analysis of plaster, fillers and paints on house interiors and exteriors in accordance with VDI 3866 and 3877.

Developed for asbestos analysis
Reflective and homogenous gold coating
High stability for long filtration applications
Suitable for all common microscopes and spectroscopes, such as FTIR, Raman, LDIR, SEM/EDX

i3 TrackPor

Close-up of several gold-coated membranes in the punching machine with tweezers detaching a membrane

Three-stage manufacturing process

Gold-coated track-etched filters are made in a three stage process. In the first stage, charged particles are fired at polycarbonate foil (which is still pore-free) in a reactor. In the second stage, the traces produced by the particles are enlarged into tunnel-shaped pores with an etching solution. The width of the pores is dictated by the concentration of the etching solution and time and can be produced individually depending on the application. In the last stage, the membrane is sputtered with gold. The result is a very thinly coated membrane foil that allows almost 100 per cent surface filtration.

High contrast and optimum conductivity

Because of the even surface and the tunnel-shaped pores, the particles being analyzed remain on the smooth surface of i3 TrackPor membranes and can thus be examined microscopically. The membranes are coated with gold on both sides and conform to current VDI standards. The gold layer on the receiving side of the filter (shiny side) is about 40 nm thick while the gold layer on the matt side is about 20 nm thick and serves to stabilize the filter during the measurement process. The gold layer protects the polycarbonate filter during evaluations with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), increasing the contrast and providing optimal conductivity.

Simple and reliable asbestos analysis

i3 TrackPor track-etched membranes are also employed in the ready-to-use i3 TrackPor M single-use monitoring device for asbestos analysis. In accordance with VDI guideline 3492, the monitoring device is connected to a sampling device. The air is sucked through the monitoring device for a few hours so that the particles settle on the gold-coated membrane. After measurement has been carried out, the gold membrane is removed in the laboratory and the dust present on it is burnt. Using a scanning electron microscope, the asbestos fibers are counted and the fiber types found are then identified and classified using energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDXA).

i3 TrackPor

A gold-coated membrane held by a pair of tweezers

Request an offer

Our gold-coated polycarbonate membrane (PC) i3 TrackPor is available for purchase in all standard diameters from 13 to 47 millimeters and pore sizes from 0.1 to 3 micrometers.

Special customizations are also possible on request.

Reflective gold layer for optimal illumination intensity
Meets all applicable VDI guidelines for asbestos analysis
Stable over a long filtration period
Highest product quality for maximum reliability

Attribute
Pore size*	0.1 µm	0.2 µm	0.4 µm	0.8 µm	3.0 µm
Membrane material	Polycarbonate
Pore density (cm^-2)	6.00 E + 08	5.00 E + 08	1.50 E + 08	4.00 E + 07	3.00 E + 06
Membrane thickness (µm)	25	25	25	24	12
Gold-coating** (nm)	40/20
Diameter (mm)	13 / 25 / 30 / 37 / 45 / 47