In solvent casting and particulate leaching (SCPL), a polymer

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...

 is dissolved in an organic solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

. Particles, mainly salts, with specific dimensions are then added to the solution. The mixture is shaped into its final geometry. For example, it can be cast onto a glass plate to produce a membrane

Artificial membrane

An artificial membrane, or synthetic membrane, is a synthetically created membrane which is usually intended for separation purposes in laboratory or in industry. Synthetic membranes have been successfully used for small and large-scale industrial processes since the middle of twentieth century. A...

 or in a three dimensional mold to produce a scaffold. When the solvent evaporates it creates a structure of composite material

Composite material

Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...

 consisting of the particles together with the polymer. The composite material is then placed in a bath which dissolves the particles, leaving behind a porous structure.