Materials with improved wettability and related methods of use and manufacture - Patents.com

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described herein relates to a wettable material that can be used to expose a liquid phase to a gas phase. An exemplary method includes providing a material comprising a polymeric substrate and at least one of a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or a polar mineral additive dispersed within the polymeric substrate at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight, and using the material in a chemical process in which the material is at least partially covered by a liquid phase and the liquid phase is exposed to a gas phase.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 336,540, filed April 29, 2022, entitled "Materials with Improved Wettability and Related Methods of Use and Production," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Wettability refers to the tendency of a liquid to spread over and bond with a solid surface in the presence of air or other immiscible fluids. When wettability is high, the liquid tends to spread over the solid surface and form a low contact angle. When wettability is low, the liquid tends to bead on the solid surface and form a high contact angle. Highly wettable solid surfaces tend to have a higher surface energy compared to less wettable solid surfaces.

[0003] Many polymeric materials have low surface energy and can have poor wettability with water. Surface modification techniques such as corona and flame treatment can make polymeric materials more wettable, but such improvements in wettability tend to be temporary and can degrade over time as the materials are exposed to contaminants, harsh chemicals, or mechanical stress. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, the subject matter of the present disclosure relates to materials with improved wettability, as well as methods of using and making the materials. The materials can include, for example, (i) a polymeric substrate, and (ii) a silicate coating (or other component or ingredient that includes silicon) on the polymeric substrate. The coating provides improved wettability, such as a more hydrophilic surface, a lower contact angle (e.g., with water or aqueous solutions), and / or a higher surface energy. Unlike previous wettability-enhancing techniques such as corona treatment, the improved wettability provided by the materials can be permanent (e.g., lasts indefinitely). In some examples, in addition to or instead of a coating, the materials can include a polar mineral additive dispersed on or within the polymeric substrate (e.g., at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight). Similar to a coating, the polar mineral additive can improve wettability (e.g., by providing surface roughness and / or by being exposed on the surface or by changing the chemical state of the surface). The material can be used in chemical processes (e.g., mass or heat transfer processes) in which the material is at least partially covered by a liquid phase and the liquid phase is exposed to a gas phase. One or more chemical components (e.g., carbon dioxide) and / or heat can be transferred between the two phases.

[0005] Advantageously, the materials and associated methods described herein can provide plastic films (or other substrates) with a permanently increased surface energy or improved wettability so that chemical processes carried out on the plastic film are more efficient over a longer period of time. For example, the improved wetting properties of the material can increase the surface area available for contact between the liquid and gas phases and can improve residence time for reactivity. In comparison, plastic films without the coatings or polar mineral additives described herein generally have low surface energy and / or exhibit poor wettability to water, aqueous solutions, or other liquids, which can cause the liquid to bead up and / or reduce the residence time or surface area available for chemical processes or reactions.

[0006] In one embodiment, the subject matter of the present disclosure comprises: providing a material comprising a polymeric substrate and at least one of a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or a polar mineral additive dispersed within the polymeric substrate at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight; using the material in a chemical process in which the material is at least partially covered by a liquid phase and the liquid phase is exposed to a gas phase. The present invention relates to a method comprising the steps of:

[0007] In a particular example, the polymeric substrate comprises a polymeric film (e.g., a monolayer film, a multilayer film, a woven film, a nonwoven film). The polymeric substrate may comprise polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, co-polyester, polystyrene, polyamide, polyurethane, biopolymer, cellulose ester, or any combination thereof. The material may comprise a polar mineral additive, and the polar mineral additive may be or may comprise a zeolite. The material may comprise a silicate coating, and the silicate coating may comprise silicon dioxide. The material may comprise a silicate coating, and the silicate coating may comprise a silicate, and at least a portion of the silicate may be covalently bonded to the polymeric substrate. The material may comprise a silicate coating, and the silicate coating may be applied to the polymeric substrate by flame pyrolysis deposition. The chemical process may be or may include a carbon capture process. The gas phase can include air, and the chemical process can be or can include a direct air capture process. The liquid phase can include an alkali metal hydroxide, and the gas phase can include carbon dioxide, and the alkali metal hydroxide can be converted to an alkali metal carbonate when exposed to carbon dioxide.

[0008] In another aspect, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to an apparatus comprising: A material comprising a polymeric substrate and at least one of a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or a polar mineral additive dispersed within the polymeric substrate at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight; a liquid supply for forming a liquid film on the material; a gas supply for exposing the liquid film to a gas; Includes.

[0009] In some embodiments, the polymeric substrate can include a polymeric film comprising polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, co-polyester, polystyrene, polyamide, polyurethane, biopolymer, cellulose ester, or any combination thereof. The material can include the polar mineral additive, which can be or include a zeolite. The material can include the silicate coating, which can include silicon dioxide. The material can include the silicate coating, which can include a silicate, and at least a portion of the silicate can be covalently bonded to the polymeric substrate. The material can include the silicate coating, which can be applied to the polymeric substrate by flame pyrolysis deposition. The liquid film can include an alkali metal hydroxide and / or an alkali metal carbonate, and the gas phase can be or include carbon dioxide or air. The material can be arranged in a plurality of stacked sheets to form a high surface area packing (e.g., for a cooling tower or gas-liquid contactor).

[0010] In another aspect, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to an apparatus comprising: A plurality of laminated sheets including a polymeric substrate; at least one of a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or a polar mineral additive dispersed within the polymeric substrate in a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight; Includes.

[0011] In certain examples, the polymeric substrate can include a monolayer, a multilayer, a woven fabric, and / or a nonwoven fabric. The multiple laminated sheets can include high surface area packing configured for use in a gas-liquid contactor.

[0012] In another aspect, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method for producing a wettable material, the method comprising: obtaining a plurality of sheets comprising a polymeric substrate and at least one of a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or a polar mineral additive dispersed within the polymeric substrate at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight; arranging the plurality of sheets in a stacked configuration. Includes.

[0013] In various embodiments, the polymeric substrate can include a single layer, a multilayer, a woven fabric, and / or a nonwoven fabric. The plurality of sheets can include the silicate coating, and the silicate coating can be formed by flame pyrolysis deposition. The plurality of sheets can include the polar mineral additive. The laminated configuration can include a high surface area packing configured for use in a gas-liquid contactor. The plurality of sheets can be configured to include a surface layer having a passivating compound to stabilize the polymeric substrate and / or the silicate coating.

[0014] These and other objects, together with advantages and features of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, will become more apparent with reference to the following description, figures, and claims. Moreover, it should be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in various combinations and permutations.

[0015] In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following drawings: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating on a substrate, according to certain embodiments. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a chemical process involving gas and / or liquid phases, according to certain embodiments. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of using a material with improved wettability in a chemical process, according to certain embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a packing block for high surface area packing, according to certain embodiments. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a filler block arrangement, according to certain embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The devices, compositions, systems, methods, and processes of the claimed inventions are intended to encompass variations and adaptations developed using information from the embodiments described herein. Adaptations and / or modifications of the devices, compositions, systems, methods, and processes described herein may be practiced by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

[0018] It should be understood that the order of steps or order for performing certain actions is immaterial so long as the invention remains operable. Moreover, two or more steps or actions may be conducted simultaneously.

[0019] In various examples, a "coating" as used herein can be or include a material disposed on a surface of a substrate. The coating can be continuous (e.g., a film) or can have discontinuities (e.g., voids or openings) and / or can be non-contiguous. In some examples, the coating can be or include particles of minerals (e.g., silicates) or other materials bonded (e.g., covalently bonded) to the surface of the substrate. The particles may or may not form a continuous film, and portions of the substrate surface may not be covered by the particles or may be exposed. The coating may or may not have a uniform thickness.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a material 10 including a substrate 12 and a coating 14. The substrate 12 can be in the form of a thin sheet or film that can have any suitable thickness T1, width W, or length L. For example, the thickness T1 can be from about 10 μm to about 5 mm. The width W of the substrate 12 can be, for example, from about 0.1 m to about 2 m, or about 1 m. The length L of the substrate 12 can be, for example, from about 0.1 m to about 2 m, or about 1 m. In general, the substrate 12 can have any size and / or shape, which can be modified before or after the coating 14 is applied to the substrate 12, as desired. The substrate 12 can be or include any material, such as, for example, a polymeric material, a metal, a glass, a ceramic, a mineral, a cellulosic material, or any combination thereof. The polymeric material may be formed of or include, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (e.g., low density polyethylene or high density polyethylene), polypropylene, polyester or co-polyester (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PET-G, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and / or polyethylene furanoate (PEF)), polystyrene, polyamide (e.g., nylon), polyurethane, biopolymer (e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)), cellulose ester, or any combination thereof. The polymeric material may be or include a standalone polymer system (e.g., a polymeric film having one or more layers) or an extruded or engineered fiber system (e.g., a woven or nonwoven fabric made from polymeric fibers). In various embodiments, the substrate 12 is a polymeric film, such as a calendared or extruded plastic film. The substrate 12 may have a matte surface, a glossy surface, a woven surface, a randomized surface structure, or other surface characteristics or textures. Although FIG. 1 shows coating 14 on only one side of substrate 12, it is understood that both sides of substrate 12 can be coated.Additionally, or alternatively, although FIG. 1 depicts substrate 12 as being planar, it is understood that substrate 12 can have curved surfaces, non-linear surfaces, geometric surfaces, porous or non-porous surfaces, woven or non-woven surfaces, a mixture of raised and recessed areas, or any combination thereof.

[0021] Coating 14 may be formed of or include, for example, a silicate or other mineral or salt. For example, coating 14 may be or include tetramethylsilane. Coating 14 may have a thickness T2 (e.g., average thickness) of, for example, a trace (e.g., about 10 nm or less) to about 100 nm, about 20 nm to about 60 nm, or about 40 nm. Any suitable coating thickness may be used. Coating 14 may have a thickness T2 that is substantially uniform or non-uniform. In some examples, coating 14 may be or include discrete particles of silicate or other mineral or salt bonded to substrate 12. Material 10 or coating 14 may have a surface energy of about 40 dyn / cm or more, about 50 dyn / cm or more, about 60 dyn / cm or more, or about 70 dyn / cm or more. In some embodiments, the surface energy of material 10 or coating 14 may vary depending on the composition of substrate 12. When a droplet of water (e.g., a droplet of distilled water) is placed on the coating 14, the contact angle formed between the edge of the droplet and the surface of the coating 14 may be about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees, about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, or about 40 degrees to about 50 degrees. In comparison, the contact angle of a droplet of water on the substrate 12 itself (e.g., without the coating 14 or the polar mineral additive) may be about 70 degrees to about 90 degrees, or about 78 degrees to about 82 degrees. The substrate 12 itself (e.g., without the coating 14 or the polar mineral additive) may have a surface energy of about 25 dyn / cm to about 50 dyn / cm, or about 34 dyn / cm to about 40 dyn / cm. Thus, applying the coating 14 to the substrate 12 may result in a surface having a higher surface energy and / or achieving a lower contact angle, which may be more easily wetted (e.g., by water or an aqueous solution) than an uncoated surface.

[0022] 1, coating 14 is depicted as being a continuous layer, it is understood that coating 14 may have openings, voids, or other discontinuities and / or may not be continuous. For example, one or more areas of substrate 12 may include a coating and one or more other areas of substrate 12 may be uncoated. The coated and / or uncoated areas of substrate 12 may have any desired arrangement and / or may be in the form of, for example, discrete dots, rectangles, lines, or other areas that may or may not include coating 14.

[0023] Experimental results indicate that the improved wettability properties of coating 14 may be permanent. In one test involving a tetramethylsilane coating on PVC, the measured contact angle for a drop of water on the coating remained substantially constant or decreased (e.g., indicating improved wettability) over a period of one year. This was also true for samples immersed in water, or to a greater extent (e.g., greater contact angle drop) for samples immersed in a potassium hydroxide solution when no measurements were being made (e.g., the sample was removed from the solution only during measurements). In one test, the contact angle of the coatings described herein (e.g., silicate coatings) improved over time with exposure to potassium hydroxide. Thus, the coatings described herein (e.g., silicate coatings) may be permanent and / or may permanently improve wettability. For example, the coatings described herein may last for more than one year, more than five years, or more than ten years when used in the chemical processes described herein. In comparison, the wetting benefits provided by previous surface modification techniques such as corona and flame treatments are generally understood to be temporary and guaranteed only during manufacturing.

[0024] In various examples, the coating 14 can be applied to the substrate 12 through a high enthalpy process, a mechanical process, and / or an additive process. Examples include using a deposition method such as flame pyrolysis deposition or a plasma treatment method. Flame pyrolysis deposition (a high enthalpy process) can involve exposing the substrate 12 (e.g., a plastic film) to a hydrocarbon fuel flame doped with a small amount of tetramethylsilane or other polar mineral precursor, which can burn in the flame and / or deposit on the substrate 12 as a silicate (e.g., silicon dioxide), metal alkoxide, or polar mineral coating. The coating 14 can be invisible, flexible, hydrophilic, and / or nanoporous (e.g., having nanometer-sized pores). The silicate or other polar mineral in the coating 14 can be covalently bonded to the substrate 12. A suitable flame pyrolysis deposition method is the PYROSIL process from SURA Instruments GmbH, Jena, Germany (www.sura-instruments.de / en / technologies / pyrosilr-process). Alternatively or additionally, coating 14 can be or include a plasma coating (e.g., a hydrophilic plasma coating and / or a nanoscale polymer layer) formed using a plasma surface treatment. In some examples, coating 14 can be formed using mechanical coating or other deposition methods such as, for example, vapor deposition, gravure coating, dip coating, blade coating, curtain coating, spray coating, or roll coating. Corona treatment can be performed to increase the surface energy or wettability of coating 14 and / or substrate 12.

[0025] In various examples, in addition to or instead of including the coating 14, the substrate 12 can include one or more zeolites, silicates, and / or other polar minerals or additives that increase the surface energy of the substrate 12 and / or improve wettability. Such additives can be dispersed on or within the substrate 12 during an addition process (e.g., an extrusion process or a mixing process). Zeolites can be added to a polymer (e.g., PVC) as a co-stabilizer, but the level (e.g., total weight) at which zeolites can be used in the substrate 12 (e.g., polymeric substrate) for purposes of increasing surface energy can be up to 10 times greater than the level at which zeolites can be used for co-stabilization. In some examples, one or more zeolites or other polar minerals can be added to the substrate 12 in a loading of about 1% to about 25%, about 2% to about 20%, or about 2% to about 12% by weight (e.g., based on the total weight of the substrate). In certain embodiments, the amount added can be 1% to 5% to 10% to 15% to 20% to 25% by weight. The polar mineral additive can have a minimum, maximum, or average particle size ranging from about 0.002 mm to about 2 mm. In some examples, the minimum, maximum, or average particle size can be about 4 μm or less or up to about 15 μm. Advantageously, the polar mineral additive can substantially improve the wettability of the material 10, especially when used in combination with the coating 14. For example, the polar mineral additive can improve the wettability by providing a surface texture (e.g., increasing the surface roughness) and / or by changing the chemical state of the surface (e.g., by being at least partially exposed on the surface). The polar mineral additive can be uniformly dispersed within the substrate 12 or can have a higher concentration near the surface of the substrate 12. The material 10, substrate 12, and / or coating 14 may have an arithmetic mean surface roughness (Ra) greater than about 1 μm, or from about 1 μm to about 10 μm to about 50 μm to about 100 μm to about 500 μm, or more.

[0026] The coating step (or steps used to add polar mineral additives) can be followed by one or more post-treatment steps that stabilize the coating 14 and / or substrate 12 until installation or use. The post-treatment can involve, for example, applying a solvent (e.g., water) mixed with a passivating compound, such as potassium hydroxide, potassium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, or other compounds compatible with the end user process. The solvent can be present in the mixture in an amount of about 25% to about 99.5% by weight. The mixture can be applied to the coating 14 and / or substrate 12 (e.g., as a surface layer or film) using, for example, vapor deposition, gravure coating, dip coating, blade coating, curtain coating, spray coating, or roll coating. A drying step can be performed to remove any residual moisture or solvent from the substrate surface. A masking step can be performed in which a mask, film, or other temporary protective layer is applied to the coating 14 and / or substrate 12.

[0027] 2, in various examples, the material 10 can be used in a chemical process 20 in which a gas-liquid contactor 22 (or other device) is used to contact a liquid phase with a gas phase. The liquid phase can be or include, for example, water or an aqueous solution (including, for example, potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide). The liquid phase can be provided to the contactor 22 by a liquid input 24 and can be removed from the contactor 22 by a liquid output 26. The gas phase can be or include, for example, air or carbon dioxide. The gas phase can be provided to the contactor 22 by a gas input 28 and can be removed from the contactor 22 by a gas output 30.

[0028] The contactor 22 can include a high surface area packing 32 that includes the material 10. For example, the packing 32 can include multiple sheets (or pieces) of the material 10 that are stacked (or packed) in close proximity to one another (e.g., to meet minimum, maximum, or average separation distances of about 50 mm, about 25 mm, about 10 mm, or less). The sheets of material 10 can be thermoformed, molded, extruded, blow molded, foam molded, or deformed into a variety of geometric shapes that can include, for example, corrugations, flutes, bends, curved surfaces, raised areas, recessed areas, and / or channels. A variety of shapes and configurations are possible for the material 10 in the packing 32. When multiple sheets of material 10 are stacked together or placed in close proximity (e.g., in a parallel arrangement), the sheets (or their corrugations) can define passageways or channels through which the gas and liquid phases can flow. In some examples, packing 32 can be configured for use in (or gas liquid contactor 22 can include) a cooling tower, such as a crossflow cooling tower or a counterflow cooling tower. In some embodiments, packing 32 and / or contactor 22 can include one or more discrete sheets, pieces, or particles of material 10 in any shape or configuration. Packing 32 can be or include splash packing or film packing.

[0029] In various examples, the packing 32 can provide a large surface area for the liquid and gas phases to contact each other. For example, due to the multiple sheets and high wettability of the material 10, the liquid phase can form a continuous film on the material 10, creating a large surface area between the gas and liquid phases in the packing 32. As the gas and liquid phases flow through the contactor 22, one or more chemical components or constituents can transfer between the two phases. In some examples, for example, carbon dioxide can transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase. As a result, the liquid output 26 can have a higher concentration of carbon dioxide compared to the liquid input 24. Alternatively or additionally, the carbon dioxide can react with one or more components in the liquid phase (e.g., converting an alkali metal hydroxide to an alkali metal carbonate). In certain examples, the flow of the liquid and / or gas phases in the contactor 22 can be or include a partial flow, a flooded flow, a contact flow, or a bubbling flow. The flow can be laminar or turbulent. The liquid phase may flow downward through the packing 32 and the gas phase may flow upward (eg, countercurrent) or horizontally (eg, crossflow).

[0030] In general, chemical process 20 can be or include any process involving contact between a liquid phase and a gas phase. In certain embodiments, for example, chemical process 20 can be or include a carbon capture process (alternatively referred to as direct air capture or carbon dioxide capture) in which the gas phase is air and carbon dioxide is captured or removed from the air. The carbon capture process can involve wetting the plastic surface with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide (e.g., potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide) and converting at least a portion of the alkali metal hydroxide to an alkali metal carbonate in the presence of ambient carbon dioxide. Examples of suitable carbon capture processes are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,119,091, issued February 21, 2012, U.S. Patent No. 8,871,008, issued October 28, 2014, and U.S. Patent No. 9,095,813, issued August 4, 2015, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference.

[0031] 3 is a flow chart of a method 40 of using a wettable material in a chemical process. A material (e.g., material 10) is provided (step 42) that includes a polymeric substrate and at least one of (i) a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or (ii) a polar mineral additive dispersed on or within the polymeric substrate at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight. The material is used in a chemical process (e.g., chemical process 20) in which the material is at least partially covered by a liquid phase and the liquid phase is exposed to or in contact with a gas phase (step 44).

[0032] 4 is a perspective view of a packing block 50 for use as high surface area packing (e.g., packing 32) in a chemical process (e.g., chemical process 20), according to certain embodiments. In some examples, the packing block 50 includes multiple sheets 52 of a wettable material (e.g., material 10). The sheets 52 can be stacked or arranged adjacent to one another and can include corrugations, flutes, curves, curved surfaces, convex areas, and / or concave areas that define channels or passages 54 through which gas and liquid phases can flow.

[0033] 5 is a perspective view of an arrangement 60 of packed blocks 50 for use in a chemical process, according to certain embodiments. In certain examples, passages 54 (represented as circles for simplicity) in the packed blocks 50 can enable a cross-flow configuration for gas and liquid phases in a chemical process. For example, air can flow through the arrangement 60 in a horizontal direction 64, and liquid can flow through the arrangement 60 in a vertical direction 66. The blocks 50 can be held together in the arrangement 60 by friction, adhesives, and / or mechanical fasteners.

[0034] [term] The phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0035] As used in the specification and claims, the term "about," the phrase "approximately equal to," and other similar phrases (e.g., "X has a value of about Y" or "X is approximately equal to Y") should be understood to mean that one value (X) is within a given range of another value (Y). The given range can be plus or minus 20%, 10%, 5%, 3%, 1%, 0.1%, or less than 0.1%, unless otherwise specified.

[0036] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used herein and in the claims, should be understood to mean "at least one," unless clearly indicated otherwise. The term "and / or," as used herein and in the claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in the same manner, i.e., to mean "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, whether or not related to the elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to "A and / or B," when used in combination with open-ended language such as "comprising," can refer in one embodiment to only A (optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment to only B (optionally including elements other than A), in yet another embodiment to both A and B (optionally including other elements), etc.

[0037] As used in this specification and the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be construed to be inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but not more than one, of a number of elements or list of elements, and optionally, further including unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicating the contrary, such as "only one of," "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number of elements or list of elements. In general, the term "or" will be construed as indicating exclusive alternatives (e.g., "one or the other but not both") only when preceded by an exclusive term such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exact one of." As used in the claims, "consisting essentially of" shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0038] As used herein and in the claims, the phrase "at least one" referring to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers may optionally be present, whether or not related to the specifically identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of A or B" or, equivalently, "at least one of A and / or B") can refer in one embodiment to the inclusion of at least one, optionally more than one, A, where B is absent (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment to the inclusion of at least one, optionally more than one, B; in yet another embodiment to the inclusion of at least one, optionally more than one, A, and at least one, optionally more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); and so forth.

[0039] The use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter as well as additional items.

[0040] In the claims, the use of ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," "third," etc. to modify a claim element does not, in itself, imply any priority, precedence, or ordering of a claim element relative to other claim elements, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Ordinal numbers are used merely to distinguish claim elements as labels to distinguish a claim element having a certain name from other elements having the same name (except for the use of ordinal numbers).

[0041] Each numerical value shown in this specification, for example in a table, chart, or graph, is intended to represent the minimum or maximum value in the range of the corresponding parameter. Thus, when added to the claims, the numerical value provides explicit support for claiming possible ranges above or below the numerical value, in accordance with the teachings of this specification. For numerical ranges described herein, various embodiments include any parameter value (e.g., integer or fractional value) within the stated range. For example, if the stated range is 1 to 10, the value of each parameter can be greater, less, or 1, 2, 3, ... 9, or 10. Unless included in the claims, each numerical value shown in this specification is not considered limiting in any respect.

[0042] The terms and expressions used herein are used as terms and expressions of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. In addition, while specific embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments incorporating the concepts disclosed herein may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The features and functions of the various embodiments can be arranged in various combinations and permutations, all of which are considered to be within the scope of the disclosed invention. The described embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative only and not restrictive. Furthermore, the configurations, materials, and dimensions described herein are intended to be illustrative and in no way limiting. Similarly, while physical descriptions are provided for illustrative purposes, there is no intention to be bound to any particular theory or mechanism and no intention to limit the scope of the claims accordingly.

Claims

1. A plurality of laminated sheets comprising a polymeric substrate and at least one of a silicate coating disposed on the polymeric substrate or a polar mineral additive dispersed within the polymeric substrate at a loading of about 1% to about 25% by weight.

13. An apparatus comprising:

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric substrate comprises at least one of a single layer, a multilayer, a woven fabric, or a nonwoven fabric.

3. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laminated sheets comprises high surface area packing configured for use in a gas liquid contactor.

4. A method of using the apparatus of claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing a material comprising the plurality of laminated sheets; and using said material in a chemical process in which said material is at least partially covered by a liquid phase and said liquid phase is exposed to a gas phase. A method comprising:

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polymeric substrate comprises a polymeric film.

6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polymeric substrate comprises at least one of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, co-polyester, polystyrene, polyamide, polyurethane, biopolymer, cellulose ester, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the material comprises the polar mineral additive, and the polar mineral additive comprises a zeolite.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the material comprises the silicate coating, the silicate coating comprising silicon dioxide.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the material comprises the silicate coating, the silicate coating comprising a silicate, at least a portion of the silicate being covalently bonded to the polymeric substrate.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the material comprises the silicate coating, the silicate coating being applied to the polymeric substrate by flame pyrolysis deposition.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the chemical process comprises a carbon capture process.

12. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the gas phase comprises air and the chemical process comprises a direct air capture process.

13. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the liquid phase comprises an alkali metal hydroxide and the gas phase comprises carbon dioxide, and the alkali metal hydroxide is converted to an alkali metal carbonate by exposure to carbon dioxide.

14. a material comprising the plurality of laminated sheets; A liquid supply for forming a liquid film on the material; and a gas supply for exposing a gas to the liquid film; The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

15. 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the polymeric substrate comprises a polymeric film comprising at least one of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, co-polyester, polystyrene, polyamide, polyurethane, biopolymer, cellulose ester, or any combination thereof.

16. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the material comprises the polar mineral additive, and the polar mineral additive comprises a zeolite.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the material comprises the silicate coating, the silicate coating comprising silicon dioxide.

18. 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the material comprises the silicate coating, the silicate coating comprising a silicate, at least a portion of the silicate being covalently bonded to the polymeric substrate.

19. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the material comprises the silicate coating, the silicate coating being applied to the polymeric substrate by flame pyrolysis deposition.

20. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the liquid film comprises at least one of an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkali metal carbonate and the gas comprises carbon dioxide.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of stacked sheets form a high surface area packing.

22. 13. A method for manufacturing the device of claim 1, comprising the steps of: Obtaining a plurality of sheets comprising the polymeric substrate and at least one of the silicate coating or the polar mineral additive; and arranging the plurality of sheets in a stacked configuration to obtain the plurality of stacked sheets. A method comprising:

23. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the polymeric substrate comprises at least one of a monolayer, a multilayer, a woven fabric, or a nonwoven fabric.

24. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of sheets includes the silicate coating, the silicate coating being formed by flame pyrolytic deposition.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of sheets includes the polar mineral additive.

26. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the stacked arrangement comprises high surface area packing configured for use in a gas liquid contactor.

27. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of laminated sheets includes a surface layer comprising a passivating compound configured to stabilize at least one of the polymeric substrate or the silicate coating.

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