Separation membrane element and separation device

Abstract

To provide a plate and frame type separation membrane element which prevents a sealing part on a supply side from being peeled when gas is supplied thereto.SOLUTION: A plate and frame type separation membrane element has a sealing part between a supply side flow channel member and a permeation side flow channel member, wherein a compression deformation amount measured by JIS K 7181 of the permeation side flow channel member is 0.40 mm or less, and adhesive force measured by JIS K 6854 of the sealing part is 1.0 N or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a separation membrane element and a separation device.

Background Art

[0002] As a separation membrane for separating specific fluid components from a raw material fluid of a liquid or a gas, a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element in which flat membranes are laminated is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). In recent years, the performance of separation membranes has improved, making it possible to realize thinner separation membranes. Such thin separation membranes can be used for removing carbon dioxide and the like contained in gases such as exhaust gas. The plate-and-frame type separation membrane element can use a thin separation membrane that is difficult to use in a spiral type separation membrane element.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when a gas is supplied to a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element as described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 above, the membrane may be pushed into the permeate side, and the sealing portion on the supply side may peel off.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element in which the sealing portion on the supply side is difficult to peel off (more preferably, does not peel off) even when a gas is supplied.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] As a result of investigations to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have found that the above problems can be solved by a separation membrane element in which the amount of compressive deformation of the permeate-side channel member is equal to or less than a certain value and the peel strength of the supply-side seal portion is equal to or greater than a certain value, and have completed the present invention.

[0007] The present invention includes the following configurations. <1>A plate-and-frame type separation membrane element including a container and a separation membrane having a region disposed in a flat film shape within the container, wherein the separation membrane has a separation functional layer that selectively separates specific fluid components contained in a raw material fluid, and the container houses a laminate having at least two permeate-side channel members through which the permeate fluid that has passed through the separation membrane flows, the separation membrane disposed between the two permeate-side channel members, and a supply-side channel member through which the raw material fluid flows. The separation membrane element has a supply-side seal portion between the supply-side channel member and the separation membrane, and the amount of compressive deformation of the permeate-side channel member measured by JIS K 7181 is 0.40 mm or less, and the peel strength of the seal portion measured by JIS K 6854 is 1.0 N or more. A plate-and-frame type separation membrane element. <2>The plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to <1>, wherein the number of meshes of the permeate-side channel member is 18 meshes or more, and when the permeate-side channel member has a multilayer structure having two or more layers, the number of meshes of each layer is the same. <3>The plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to <1>, wherein the number of meshes of the permeate-side channel member is 50 meshes or more. <4>The plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the thickness of the separation membrane is 10 to 600 μm. <5>The plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the raw material fluid is a gas. <6>The plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the specific fluid component is an acidic gas. <7>A separation device comprising: a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of <1> to <6>; a first supply part and a first discharge part communicating with the supply-side flow path member; and a second discharge part communicating with the permeation-side flow path member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element in which the sealing part on the supply side is difficult to peel off (more preferably, does not peel off) even when a gas is supplied.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] 〔1. Separation Membrane Element〕 A separation membrane element according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as this separation membrane element) is a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element including a container and a separation membrane having a region disposed in a flat membrane shape within the container, wherein the separation membrane has a separation functional layer that selectively separates specific fluid components contained in a raw material fluid, and the container houses a laminate having at least two permeate-side channel members through which the permeate fluid that has passed through the separation membrane flows, the separation membrane disposed between the permeate-side channel members, and a supply-side channel member through which the raw material fluid flows. The separation membrane element has a supply-side sealing portion between the supply-side channel member and the separation membrane, and the compression deformation amount of the permeate-side channel member measured according to JIS K 7181 is 0.40 mm or less, and the peel strength of the sealing portion measured according to JIS K 6854 is 1.0 N or more.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a separation membrane element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a laminate included in the separation membrane element according to an embodiment of the present invention in an exploded manner. In FIG. 1, L represents the length direction of the container, W represents the width direction of the container, and H represents the height direction of the container.

[0013] The separation membrane element 1 includes a container 40 and a separation membrane 21 (FIG. 2) having a region disposed in a flat membrane shape within the container 40. The separation membrane having a region disposed in a flat membrane shape within the container 40 means that the separation membrane 21 is housed within the container 40 so as to include a region disposed in a flat state without being wound in a roll shape or a cylindrical shape. The separation membrane 21 housed in the container 40 may have a bent portion as long as it has a region disposed in a flat membrane shape within the container 40, and as will be described later, it may be housed within the container 40 in a double-folded state so that a flat membrane-shaped region is formed. The separation membrane element 1 is a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element.

[0014] The separation membrane 21 has a separation functional layer that selectively separates specific fluid components contained in the raw material fluid. The separation membrane 21 may be composed only of the separation functional layer, or may have a laminated structure of the separation functional layer and a porous membrane. The porous membrane can be provided on one or both sides of the separation functional layer and can support or protect the separation functional layer.

[0015] The container 40 houses a laminate 10 having two permeate-side channel members 22, a separation membrane 21 disposed between the two permeate-side channel members 22, and a supply-side channel member 23. In FIG. 1, the height direction H of the container coincides with the lamination direction of the laminate 10. The separation membrane 21 included in the laminate 10 is laminated so as to have a region disposed in a flat film shape within the container 40. The permeate-side channel member 22 and the supply-side channel member 23 included in the laminate 10 are also usually laminated so as to have a region disposed in a flat film shape within the container 40.

[0016] The laminate 10 may have at least a portion in which the permeate-side channel member 22, the separation membrane 21, the supply-side channel member 23, and the permeate-side channel member 22 are laminated in this order. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the laminate 10 may have a membrane laminate portion 20 in which the separation membrane 21, the supply-side channel member 23, and the separation membrane 21 are laminated in this order. The laminate 10 preferably has a structure in which the membrane laminate portion 20 is disposed between the two permeate-side channel members 22. The separation membrane 21 and the supply-side channel member 23 may be adhered by a supply-side sealing material. Also, the permeate-side channel member 22 and the separation membrane 21 may be adhered by a permeate-side sealing material. As the supply-side sealing material and the permeate-side sealing material, the sealing materials described later can be used.

[0017] In the laminate 10, the membrane laminate portion 20 and the permeate-side channel member 22 laminated on the membrane laminate portion 20 may form a membrane leaf. The membrane leaf is a laminate having a layer structure in which the permeate-side channel member 22, the separation membrane 21, the supply-side channel member 23, and the separation membrane 21 are laminated in this order. The laminate 10 may have only one membrane leaf, but preferably has a structure in which a plurality of membrane leaves are laminated. When the laminate 10 has a structure in which a plurality of membrane leaves are laminated, as shown in FIG. 2, on the membrane laminate portion 20, each member and the separation membrane may be repeatedly laminated so as to be the permeate-side channel member 22, the separation membrane 21, and so on. The number of membrane leaves included in the laminate 10 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 2 or more and 100 or less, 5 or more and 50 or less, or 10 or more and 30 or less. It is preferable that the uppermost surface and the lowermost surface of the laminate 10 are the permeate-side channel members 22. In this case, the uppermost permeate-side channel member 22 forms the membrane leaf.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the laminate of the present separation membrane element is cut in a direction parallel to the end portion 12. The laminate 10 has a supply-side sealing portion 31 between the separation functional layer 53 included in the separation membrane 21 and the supply-side channel member 23 (FIG. 3). The separation functional layer 53 forms a separation membrane together with the porous base material 52. In the supply-side sealing portion 31, the separation functional layer 53 and the supply-side channel member 23 are adhered at the adhesion portion 51 by a supply-side sealing material. Therefore, the peel strength of the supply-side sealing portion 31 can also be referred to as the adhesion strength of the adhesion portion 51. When the raw material fluid flows through the supply-side channel member, pressure is generated in the direction of the separation membrane 21 (that is, the direction of the block arrow shown in FIG. 3).

[0019] The supply-side sealing portion 31 also has a function of preventing the fluid flowing through the supply-side channel member 23 from mixing with the fluid flowing through the permeation-side channel member 22. The fluid flowing through the supply-side channel member 23 is, for example, a raw material fluid and a non-permeating fluid that did not permeate through the separation membrane 21. The fluid flowing through the permeation-side channel member 22 is, for example, a permeating fluid that permeated through the separation membrane 21 and a sweep fluid that is supplied to the permeation-side channel member 22 and discharged along with the permeating fluid. The sweep fluid is a fluid that is inert to the separation functional layer of the separation membrane.

[0020] The laminate can have a permeation-side sealing portion 32 provided so as to include a position corresponding to the laminated position of the permeation-side channel member 22 in the lamination direction of the laminate 10 as needed (FIG. 2). The position corresponding to the laminated position of the permeation-side channel member 22 means, in addition to the position occupied by the permeation-side channel member 22, the position occupied by the extended portion when the permeation-side channel member 22 is extended in the direction along the plane of the laminate 10 (the direction in which the permeation-side sealing portion 32 shown in FIG. 2 exists). The permeation-side sealing portion 32 may be formed such that the permeation-side sealing material for forming the permeation-side sealing portion 32 shown in FIG. 2 penetrates into the permeation-side channel member 22 and includes this penetrated portion.

[0021] A tape can be provided at the end of the supply-side channel member 23 to prevent the permeation-side sealing material for forming the permeation-side sealing portion 32 described later from soaking in. The tape is preferably provided on the side facing the separation membrane 21 at the end of the supply-side channel member 23, and may be provided on both sides of the end when the separation membrane 21 is disposed on both sides of the supply-side channel member 23. Similarly, a tape can be provided at the end of the permeation-side channel member 22 to prevent the supply-side sealing material for forming the supply-side sealing portion 31 from soaking in. Note that when the sealing material is a double-sided tape, there is no need to use a tape for preventing soaking in.

[0022] Although not shown, the transmission-side sealing portion 32 may be provided not only at the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10 but also at the first end portion 11. It is preferable that the transmission-side sealing portion 32 is provided along the entire side of the laminate 10 in a plan view that constitutes the first end portion 11. The second sealing portion 32 provided at the first end portion 11 is also provided at a position corresponding to the lamination position of the transmission-side flow path member 22 in the lamination direction of the laminate 10, and the sealing material may penetrate into the transmission-side flow path member 22 and may be formed so as to include this penetrated portion. When the transmission-side sealing portion 32 is also provided at the first end portion 11, the transmission-side sealing portion 32 is provided at two end portions included in the second end portion 12 and one end portion of the first end portion 11, and the transmission-side sealing portions 32 at the second end portion and the first end portion 11 may be formed in a state where they are connected in a plan view (for example, U-shaped).

[0023] It is preferable that the supply-side sealing portion 31 and the transmission-side sealing portion 32 are adhered at a position where the respective sealing portions intersect in a plan view (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an "intersection position"). In the laminate 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an intersection position can be provided at a corner portion of the laminate 10 in a plan view.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the container 40 can have a first supply port 43 that communicates with the supply-side flow path member 23 of the laminate 10 and supplies a raw material fluid, a first discharge port 44 that communicates with the supply-side flow path member 23 of the laminate 10 and discharges a non-permeable fluid, and a second discharge port 46 that communicates with the transmission-side flow path member 22 of the laminate 10 and discharges a permeable fluid. The container 40 may further have a supply / discharge port 45 that communicates with the transmission-side flow path member 22 of the laminate 10. The supply / discharge port 45 can be used as a second supply port for supplying a sweep fluid or as a third discharge port for discharging a permeable fluid.

[0025] In the above-described separation membrane element 1, the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10 is disposed so as to face the side wall portion 49 in which the first supply port 43 and the first discharge port 44 of the container 40 are formed, and the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 is disposed so as to face the side wall portion 49 in which the second discharge port 46 of the container 40 is formed (FIG. 1). When the supply / discharge port 45 of the container 40 is not used or the container 40 does not have the supply / discharge port 45, a permeation-side sealing portion 32 is formed at the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10. When the container 40 has the supply / discharge port 45 and this supply / discharge port 45 is used, by not forming the permeation-side sealing portion 32 at the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10, a sweep fluid can be supplied from the supply / discharge port 45 to the permeation-side flow path member 22, or a permeated fluid can be discharged.

[0026] In the separation membrane element 1 having the above structure, separation of a specific fluid component can be performed as follows. First, by supplying a raw material fluid from the first supply port 43 of the container 40 to the second end portion 12 side of the laminate 10, the raw material fluid is supplied into the supply side flow path member 23. The separation functional layer of the separation membrane 21 can selectively permeate a specific fluid component contained in the raw material fluid flowing through the supply side flow path member 23. As a result, the permeated fluid that has permeated through the separation membrane 21 has a higher content of a specific fluid component compared to the raw material fluid. Since the supply side sealing portion 31 is provided in the separation membrane element 1, the raw material fluid supplied to the supply side flow path member 23 and the non-permeated fluid that has not permeated through the separation membrane 21 are prevented from mixing into the permeated fluid flowing through the permeation side flow path member 22. On the other hand, since the permeation side sealing portion 32 is provided in the separation membrane element 1, the permeated fluid that has permeated through the separation membrane 21 and flows through the permeation side flow path member 22 is prevented from mixing into the raw material fluid and the non-permeated fluid flowing through the supply side flow path member 23. Then, the non-permeated fluid that has not permeated through the separation membrane 21 flows through the supply side flow path member 23 and is discharged to the outside of the separation membrane element 1 through the first discharge port 44 from the second end portion 12 side of the laminate 10 on the first discharge port 44 side of the container 40. The permeated fluid that has permeated through the separation membrane 21 flows through the permeation side flow path member 22 and is discharged to the outside of the separation membrane element 1 through the second discharge port 46 from the first end portion 11 side of the laminate 10 on the second discharge port 46 side of the container 40. The permeated fluid flowing through the permeation side flow path member 22 may be discharged to the outside of the separation membrane element 1 through the supply discharge port from the first end portion 11 side of the laminate 10 on the supply discharge port 45 side of the container 40 in addition to the second discharge port 46. Thereby, the raw material fluid can be separated into a permeated fluid and a non-permeated fluid.

[0027] When supplying a sweep fluid to the separation membrane element 1, the sweep fluid is supplied to the permeation side flow path member 22 by supplying the sweep fluid from the supply discharge port 45 of the container 40 to the first end portion 11 side of the laminate 10. The sweep fluid flows through the permeation side flow path member 22 and is discharged to the outside of the separation membrane element 1 through the second discharge port 46 from the first end portion 11 side of the laminate 10 on the second discharge port 46 side of the container 40.

[0028] When a raw material fluid is supplied to the separation membrane element 1, an internal pressure is generated in the supply-side space (i.e., the direction of the block arrow in FIG. 3) formed by the supply-side channel member 23 through which the raw material fluid flows. Conventionally, since plate-and-frame type separation membrane elements have mainly been used for liquid permeation, the problems caused by the internal pressure have not been recognized. For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, plate-and-frame type separation membrane elements are described, but they are mainly intended to be used for liquid permeation such as wastewater or seawater. Further, Patent Document 3 describes gas permeation through a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element, but no consideration has been given to the permeate-side channel member and the sealing portion, and only a low-cost plate-and-frame type separation membrane element is described.

[0029] However, when gas permeation is performed at normal pressure using a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element, the sealing portion and the separation membrane are likely to peel off under the influence of the internal pressure. When peeling occurs between the sealing portion and the separation membrane, the airtightness of the sealing portion decreases, making it difficult to perform good fluid separation. The fact that peeling of the supply-side sealing portion occurs when a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element is used for gas permeation and the airtightness of the separation membrane element decreases is a new problem found by the inventors of the present application. According to the present separation membrane element having the above configuration, even when gas is supplied, it is possible to permeate the gas without peeling the supply-side sealing portion.

[0030] Further, according to the above configuration, it is possible to remove CO2 and the like from harmful gases such as exhaust gas. Such an effect also contributes to the achievement of, for example, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations, such as Goal 7 "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all", Goal 12 "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns", and Goal 13 "Take urgent action to combat climate change".

[0031] When the supply-side sealing portion 31 and the transmission-side sealing portion 32 are adhered at the intersection position of the above-described first end portion 11 and second end portion 12, the adhesion of the supply-side sealing portion 31 at the intersection position can be improved, so that the airtightness of the supply-side sealing portion 31 is more easily further improved.

[0032] The supply-side sealing portion 31 and the transmission-side sealing portion 32 can be formed using a sealing material. The supply-side sealing portion 31 and the transmission-side sealing portion 32 may each independently use an adhesive or a double-sided tape as the sealing material. When an adhesive is used, it may be an adhesive layer obtained by drying or curing the adhesive.

[0033] The supply-side sealing portion 31 is formed, for example, by applying a sealing material so as to fill a space formed between the transmission-side flow path members 22 disposed on both sides of the film lamination portion 20 outside the end portion of the film lamination portion 20 at the first end portion 11, and drying or curing this. When applying the sealing material, the sealing material may be applied to the end portion of the film lamination portion 20 at the first end portion 11, and the sealing material may penetrate into the separation film 21 or the porous film included in the separation film 21 located at the end portion of the film lamination portion 20 and the supply-side flow path member 23, and in this state, the sealing material may be dried or cured to form the supply-side sealing portion 31.

[0034] The supply-side sealing portion 31 has a peel strength measured by JIS K 6854 of 1.0 N or more, preferably 1.1 N or more, more preferably 1.2 N or more. The upper limit of the peel strength is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 4.0 N or less. When gas permeates through the separation membrane element, peeling of the supply-side sealing portion 31 does not occur because the peel strength is 1.0 N or more. The peel strength of the supply-side sealing portion is measured by the method described in the examples described later.

[0035] As the sealing material, a double-sided tape, an adhesive, etc. can be used. The resin contained in the adhesive is not particularly limited as long as it is an adhesive having a peel strength of 1.0 N or more. For example, epoxy resins, urethane resins, silicone resins, vinyl chloride copolymer resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resins, vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride copolymer resins, vinyl chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer resins, butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer resins, polyamide resins, polyvinyl butyral resins, polyester resins, cellulose derivative (such as nitrocellulose) resins, styrene-butadiene copolymer resins, various synthetic rubber (elastomer) resins, phenol resins, urea resins, melamine resins, phenoxy resins, urea formamide resins, etc. can be mentioned. Among these, the sealing material is preferably an adhesive of an epoxy resin (resin for epoxy adhesive), and more preferably a two-component mixed type epoxy adhesive. In the case of a double-sided tape, a structural bonding tape in which an acrylic adhesive is applied to an acrylic foam can be used. When using a double-sided tape, the double-sided tape can be laminated on the release film, the release paper of the double-sided tape can be peeled off, and the other release film can be further laminated.

[0036] The supply-side sealing portion 31 and the permeation-side sealing portion 32 may be formed of the same sealing material or different sealing materials. That is, for example, the sealing material of the supply-side sealing portion 31 may be a double-sided tape and the sealing material of the permeation-side sealing portion 32 may be an adhesive, or the sealing material of the supply-side sealing portion 31 may be an adhesive and the sealing material of the permeation-side sealing portion 32 may be a double-sided tape. Also, both the sealing material of the supply-side sealing portion 31 and the sealing material of the permeation-side sealing portion 32 may be a double-sided tape or an adhesive.

[0037] In the laminate 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at the first end portion 11, the end portions of the two permeate-side channel members 22 disposed on both sides of the film laminate portion 20 are located outside the end portion of the film laminate portion 20. However, the laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. In a plan view of the laminate 10, it is sufficient that the end portion of the separation functional layer disposed between the two permeate-side channel members 22 at the first end portion 11 is outside the end portion of the separation functional layer. For example, in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portions of the two permeate-side channel members 22 at the first end portion 11 are outside the end portion of the separation membrane 21 (separation functional layer and porous membrane), and may be at the same position as the end portion of the supply-side channel member 23 disposed between the two permeate-side channel members 22. Alternatively, in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portions of the two permeate-side channel members 22 at the first end portion 11 are outside the end portion of the supply-side channel member 23 disposed between the two permeate-side channel members 22, and may be at the same position as the end portion of the porous membrane included in the separation membrane 21. When the end portions of the two permeate-side channel members 22 at the first end portion 11 are at the same position as the end portion of the porous membrane and / or the supply-side channel member 23 in a plan view of the laminate 10, the supply-side sealing portion 31 may include a part (for example, an end portion) of the porous membrane and / or the supply-side channel member 23.

[0038] The separation membrane element 1 can separate a specific fluid component from a raw material fluid containing at least the specific fluid component. The raw material fluid, the specific fluid component, the permeate fluid, the non-permeate fluid, and the sweep fluid may each independently be a gas or a liquid. The separation membrane element 1 is preferably a gas separation membrane element, and preferably selectively permeates a specific gas component from the raw material gas.

[0039] The specific fluid component is preferably an acidic gas. Examples of the acidic gas include carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur oxides (SO x ) and nitrogen oxides (NO x)Examples include the like. The specific gas component is preferably carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide, and more preferably carbon dioxide. Examples of the raw material gas include acidic gases such as residual exhaust gas of synthesis gas synthesized in a plant for producing hydrogen, urea, etc., natural gas, biogas, combustion exhaust gas discharged from a power plant, a waste treatment plant, a cement factory, etc.

[0040] When the pressure on the supply side is 200 kPG in the airtight test of this separation membrane element, 40 GPU (1 GPU = 3.35×10 -10 mol·m -2 ·s -1 ·Pa -1 ) It preferably has the following performance. If this separation membrane element achieves the above performance, it can be said that it can sufficiently withstand practical use. The upper limit value of GPU is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be 100 GPU or less at 200 kPG. The airtight test is the test described in the examples below.

[0041] (Method for manufacturing a separation membrane element) Figs. 4 to 6 are perspective views for explaining the manufacturing process of a separation membrane element according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figs. 4 to 6, L represents the length direction of the container, W represents the width direction of the container, and H represents the height direction of the container.

[0042] The separation membrane element 1 can be manufactured by using a container 40, a separation membrane 21, a permeate-side flow path member 22, and a supply-side flow path member 23, and laminating the permeate-side flow path member 22, the separation membrane 21, and the supply-side flow path member 23 in the accommodation space of this container 40 to form a laminate 10. Hereinafter, an example of a method for manufacturing the separation membrane element 1 in which a laminate 10 having a rectangular shape in plan view is accommodated in a prismatic container 40 will be described.

[0043] First, prepare a container 40. The container 40 shown in Fig. 4(a) has an accommodation space for accommodating each member constituting the laminate 10 and shows a state where the upper surface is open. The container 40 can have a guide portion 41 for positioning the members accommodated in the accommodation space. When the accommodation space of the container 40 is prismatic, the guide portion 41 is preferably provided at the corner of the container 40 (Fig. 4(a)).

[0044] Attach a first tape 25 to both surfaces of the end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 to prevent the infiltration of the sealing material. In the permeation-side channel member 22 shown in Fig. 4, the first tape 25 is attached to the end portions along two sides facing each other (Fig. 4(b)). Arrange the permeation-side channel member 22 to which the first tape 25 is attached in the container 40 so that the side to which the first tape 25 is attached is parallel to the side extending parallel to the width direction W. Then, apply a sealing material 33a along the end portion that becomes the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10 (the end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 to which the first tape 25 is not attached (the end portion extending parallel to the length direction L)) (Fig. 4(b)). The sealing material 33a may be applied outside the end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 or may be applied so as to cover the end portion in a plan view of the container 40.

[0045] Subsequently, laminate a separation membrane 21 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "first separation membrane 21a") on the permeation-side channel member 22 (Fig. 4(c)). At this time, at the end portion that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 (the end portion extending parallel to the width direction W), laminate the first separation membrane 21a so that in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 is outside the end portion of the first separation membrane 21a (Fig. 4(c)). For example, the first separation membrane 21a is laminated so as not to cover the first tape 25 of the permeation-side channel member 22. At the end portion that becomes the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10 (the end portion extending parallel to the length direction L), in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 may be outside the end portion of the first separation membrane 21a or may be at the same position as the end portion of the first separation membrane 21a.

[0046] Thereafter, a sealing material 33b is applied to the end portion that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 (Fig. 5(a)). For example, the sealing material 33b is applied so as to cover the entire end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 that is outside the end portion of the first separation membrane 21a in a plan view of the laminate 10. Fig. 5(a) shows a case where the sealing material 33b is applied on the first tape 25 of the permeation-side channel member 22. The sealing material 33b is applied such that both ends (both ends in the width direction W) of the applied sealing material 33b overlap both ends (both ends in the length direction L) of the sealing material 33a.

[0047] Next, a second tape 26 for preventing the infiltration of the sealing material is bonded to both surfaces of the end portion of the supply-side channel member 23 that becomes the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10. The supply-side channel member 23 bonded with the second tape 26 is laminated on the first separation membrane 21a in the container 40 (Fig. 5(b)). The supply-side channel member 23 is laminated on the first separation membrane 21a such that the side to which the second tape 26 is attached is parallel to the side extending parallel to the length direction L. At this time, at the end portion that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 (the end portion extending parallel to the width direction W), the supply-side channel member 23 is laminated such that in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portion of the permeation-side channel member 22 is outside the end portion of the supply-side channel member 23 (Fig. 5(b)). Fig. 5(b) shows a case where the supply-side channel member 23 is laminated so as not to overlap the sealing material 33b applied on the permeation-side channel member 22.

[0048] Thereafter, a separation membrane 21 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "second separation membrane 21b") is further laminated on the supply-side flow path member 23 in the container 40. At this time, at the end portion that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 (the end portion extending parallel to the width direction W), in a plan view of the laminate 10, the second separation membrane 21b is laminated such that the end portion of the permeation-side flow path member 22 is outside the end portion of the second separation membrane 21b (Fig. 5(c)). At the end portion that becomes the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10 (the end portion extending parallel to the length direction L), in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portion of the permeation-side flow path member 22 may be outside the end portion of the second separation membrane 21b, or may be at the same position as the end portion of the second separation membrane 21b. Subsequently, a sealing material is applied to the end portion that becomes the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10. The sealing material is preferably applied at a position overlapping the previously applied sealing material 33a through the supply-side flow path member 23. In this way, the first separation membrane 21a, the supply-side flow path member 23, and the second separation membrane 21b laminated on the permeation-side flow path member 22 constitute the membrane laminate portion 20.

[0049] Next, a permeation-side flow path member 22 is further laminated on the second separation membrane 21b in the container 40. This permeation-side flow path member 22 is laminated on the second separation membrane 21b such that, at the end portion that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10 (the end portion extending parallel to the width direction W), in a plan view of the laminate 10, the end portion of the permeation-side flow path member 22 is outside the end portion of the membrane laminate portion 20. The membrane laminate portion 20 (the first separation membrane 21a, the supply-side flow path member 23, and the second separation membrane 21b), and the permeation-side flow path member 22 laminated on the membrane laminate portion 20 constitute the membrane leaf. By repeating the step of laminating the membrane leaf according to the procedure described above, a laminate 10 is formed in the container 40 (Fig. 6(a)).

[0050] After forming the laminate 10 inside the container 40, the gap between the guide portion 41 of the container 40 and the laminate 10 is sealed with a sealing material. Subsequently, at the second end portion 12 of the laminate 10, a sealing material is applied onto the permeation-side flow path member 22 included in the topmost film leaf of the laminate 10, an upper lid that becomes the upper surface portion 47 of the container 40 is installed (Fig. 6(b)), and a sealing material is applied to the gap between the upper lid and the side wall portion 49 of the container 40. Thereafter, by drying or curing the sealing material, the separation membrane element 1 can be obtained (Fig. 6(b)).

[0051] In the manufacturing method described above, two separation membranes (the first separation membrane 21a and the second separation membrane 21b) were used to form the membrane laminate portion 20, but one separation membrane may be folded in half, and the supply-side flow path member 23 may be sandwiched between the folded separation membranes to form the membrane laminate portion 20. When using a folded separation membrane, the fold portion is preferably arranged at the end portion that becomes the first end portion 11 of the laminate 10. In the separation membrane element 1 shown in Fig. 6(b), it is preferably arranged so as to communicate with the second discharge port 46 side for discharging the permeated fluid of the container 40. In this case, it is not necessary to provide a supply-side sealing portion at the first end portion 11 where the fold portion of the separation membrane is arranged.

[0052] [2. Separation Device] The separation device can have one or more of this separation membrane element. The arrangement and number of the separation membrane elements provided in the separation device can be selected according to the required throughput, the recovery rate of specific fluid components, the size of the place where the separation device is installed, etc.

[0053] The separation device can include a first supply portion and a first discharge portion that communicate with the supply-side flow path member 23 of the separation membrane element 1, and a second discharge portion that communicates with the permeation-side flow path member 22 of the separation membrane element 1. The separation device may further include a supply / discharge portion that communicates with the permeation-side flow path member 22 of the separation membrane element 1.

[0054] The first supply section is an inlet for supplying the raw material fluid to the supply-side flow path member and can communicate with the first supply port 43 of the separation membrane element 1. The first discharge section is an outlet for discharging the non-permeating fluid flowing through the supply-side flow path member and can communicate with the first discharge port 44 of the separation membrane element 1. The second discharge section is an outlet for discharging the permeating fluid flowing through the permeate-side flow path member and can communicate with the second discharge port 46 of the separation membrane element 1. The supply / discharge section can be used as the second supply section for supplying the sweep fluid to the permeate-side flow path member or as the third discharge section for discharging the permeating fluid. The supply / discharge section can communicate with the supply / discharge port 45 of the separation membrane element 1.

[0055] Hereinafter, each member constituting the separation membrane element 1 and the separation device will be described in more detail.

[0056] (Container) The container 40 houses the laminate 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 40 has an upper surface portion 47, a lower surface portion 48, and a side wall portion 49 connecting the upper surface portion 47 and the lower surface portion 48, and the accommodation space can be partitioned by the upper surface portion 47, the lower surface portion 48, and the side wall portion 49. The upper surface portion 47 and the lower surface portion 48 extend in a direction orthogonal to the lamination direction of the laminate 10, and the side wall portion 49 extends in the lamination direction of the laminate. The shape of the container is not particularly limited, and the upper surface portion 47 and the lower surface portion 48 may be polygons such as rectangles, or may be circular. The side wall portion 49 may be prismatic or cylindrical.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the container 40 may have a guide portion 41 for positioning each member constituting the laminate 10. When the side wall portion 49 of the container 40 is prismatic, the guide portion 41 is preferably provided at the corner of the side wall portion 49.

[0058] The first supply port 43, the supply / discharge port 45, the first discharge port 44, and the second discharge port 46 of the container 40 may all be provided on the side wall portion 49 of the container 40, or may be provided on the upper surface portion 47 or the lower surface portion 48.

[0059] Each of the members constituting the container 40 can be formed of resin, glass, metal, ceramics, etc. Examples of the resin include polycarbonate, acrylic resin, fluororesin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethersulfone (PES), polysulfone (PSF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polypropylene (PP), etc., and fiber-reinforced resins in which fibers such as glass are mixed with these resins. Examples of the metal include stainless steel such as SUS, aluminum, copper, etc. Each of the members constituting the container 40 may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0060] (Separation membrane) The separation membrane 21 is not particularly limited as long as it is a known one that can selectively permeate specific fluid components from the raw material fluid. The separation membrane 21 can be, for example, an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane, a reverse osmosis membrane, a dialysis membrane, a forward osmosis membrane, a solution-diffusion membrane, a facilitated transport membrane, etc. The solution-diffusion membrane is a membrane that selectively permeates molecules by utilizing the differences in the solubility and diffusibility of fluid molecules. The facilitated transport membrane is a membrane containing a substance that promotes the solubility or / and diffusibility of fluid molecules. The separation membrane 21 is preferably a solution-diffusion membrane.

[0061] The separation membrane 21 can have a porous membrane and a separation functional layer. The porous membrane that the separation membrane 21 has may be one or more layers, two or more layers, or three or more layers. The porous membrane can be provided on one side or both sides of the separation functional layer. The porous membrane provided on one side or both sides of the separation functional layer may be one layer or two or more layers. Further, the separation membrane 21 may have a support layer for reinforcement as needed.

[0062] When the separation membrane has a porous membrane only on one side, in the above-described membrane laminate portion 20, it is preferable to laminate the separation membrane 21 and the supply-side flow path member 23 so that the separation functional layer side of the separation membrane 21 faces the supply-side flow path member 23 side.

[0063] The thickness of the separation membrane is preferably 10 to 600 μm, more preferably 10 μm to 550 μm, and even more preferably 10 to 510 μm. If the thickness of the separation membrane is within the above range, the membrane thickness becomes thin, and specific fluid components such as carbon dioxide can be sufficiently separated from the raw material fluid. Also, when the thickness of the separation membrane is within the above range, it is difficult to use it for a spiral-type separation membrane element, but it can be used for a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element.

[0064] (Separation functional layer) The separation functional layer can be selected according to the type of the above-described membrane. The separation functional layer is preferably a layer formed using a composition containing a resin. Examples of the resin include polyacrylic acid, polyamide, cellulose acetate, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, vinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride-polyacrylonitrile copolymer, epoxy resin, polyimide, polyvinyl alcohol, polysiloxane, polyether block amide copolymer, polyethylene oxide, etc. The polyacrylic acid may be crosslinked crosslinked polyacrylic acid or non-crosslinked non-crosslinked polyacrylic acid.

[0065] The separation functional layer may be a gel layer. The gel layer contains a hydrophilic resin such as polyacrylic acid, and may further contain an amino acid, an aminosulfonic acid, and / or an aminophosphonic acid, etc. The gel layer may contain a surfactant for adjusting the wettability with respect to the porous membrane. When the specific fluid component is a gas, the gel layer may further contain an alkali metal compound and / or or a hydration reaction catalyst for improving the reaction rate between a specific gas component and the alkali metal compound.

[0066] The separation functional layer can be produced, for example, by applying a coating solution containing the above-mentioned resin and medium onto a porous membrane. Examples of methods for applying the coating solution onto the porous membrane include slot die coating, spin coating, bar coating, die coating, blade coating, air knife coating, gravure coating, roll coating, spray coating, dip coating, comma roll method, kiss coat method, screen printing, inkjet printing, and the like.

[0067] Also, the thickness of the separation functional layer is preferably 1 to 1000 nm, more preferably 10 to 500 nm, and even more preferably 100 to 400 nm. If the thickness of the separation functional layer is within the above range, specific fluid components such as carbon dioxide can be sufficiently separated from the raw material fluid.

[0068] (porous membrane) The porous membrane can be a support layer for supporting the separation functional layer or a protective layer for protecting the separation functional layer. The porous membrane can be in direct contact with the separation functional layer. The porous membrane preferably has high fluid permeability so as not to cause diffusion resistance to the raw material fluid supplied to the separation functional layer or specific fluid components contained in the raw material fluid.

[0069] The porous membrane is preferably formed of a resin material or an inorganic material. Examples of the resin material constituting the porous membrane include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP); fluorine-containing resins such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF); polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate; polystyrene (PS), polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polysulfone (PSF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), high molecular weight polyester, heat-resistant polyamide, aramid, polycarbonate, and mixtures of two or more of these resin materials. Among these, from the viewpoints of water repellency and heat resistance, it is preferable to contain at least one of polyolefin resins and fluorine-containing resins, and more preferably to contain one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene. Examples of the inorganic material constituting the porous membrane include metals, glass, ceramics, and the like.

[0070] The porous membrane is not particularly limited as long as it is a porous body. The porous membrane may be a sheet-like porous body such as a porous resin film, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, foam, mesh, or net. Further, these porous bodies can also be used as a support layer for reinforcement.

[0071] The porous membrane included in the separation membrane may be, for example, one or more layers of porous resin films laminated on one side of the separation functional layer and one or more layers of nonwoven fabrics laminated on the other side of the separation functional layer.

[0072] (Supply-side flow path member and permeation-side flow path member) The supply-side flow path member 23 and the permeation-side flow path member 22 preferably have a function of promoting the turbulent flow (surface renewal on the membrane surface) of the raw material fluid and the permeated fluid that has permeated through the separation membrane 21 to increase the membrane permeation rate of the permeated fluid in the raw material fluid, and a function of minimizing the pressure loss of the supplied raw material fluid and the permeated fluid that has permeated through the separation membrane 21. Since the supply-side flow path member 23 and the permeation-side flow path member 22 preferably have a function as a spacer for forming the flow paths of the raw material fluid and the permeated fluid and a function of generating turbulent flow in the raw material fluid and the permeated fluid, a mesh-like (net-like, mesh-like, etc.) one is preferably used. The shape of the unit lattice of the mesh is preferably selected from shapes such as a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, and a parallelogram according to the purpose, since the flow path of the fluid changes depending on the shape of the mesh.

[0073] The permeation-side flow path member has a compression deformation amount measured by JIS K 7181 of 0.40 mm or less, preferably 0.35 mm or less, more preferably 0.30 mm or less. The lower limit of the compression deformation amount is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.10 mm or more. When a gas permeates through this separation membrane element, the peeling of the supply-side sealing portion 31 is less likely to occur because the compression deformation amount is 0.40 mm or less. The compression deformation amount of the permeation-side flow path member is measured by the method described in the examples below.

[0074] The materials of the supply-side flow path member 23 and the permeation-side flow path member 22 are not particularly limited, but materials having heat resistance capable of withstanding the operating temperature conditions of the separation device in which the separation membrane element 1 is provided are preferred. The supply-side flow path member 23 and the permeation-side flow path member 22 may each independently have a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure. The supply-side flow path member 23 and the permeation-side flow path member 22 having a multilayer structure preferably have a structure in which one or more mesh-like layers are laminated, and the laminated mesh-like layers may have different mesh structures from each other. Preferably, the permeation-side flow path member 22 has a single-layer structure.

[0075] In this specification, "the permeation-side flow path member 22 has a single-layer structure" means that the permeation-side flow path member 22 does not have a plurality of layers. That is, it means that the permeation-side flow path member 22 is composed of a single sheet of mesh, net, or the like, and it is not intended that the permeation-side flow path member 22, the separation membrane 21, and the supply-side flow path member 23 are laminated in the separation membrane element 1. Further, "the permeation-side flow path member 22 has a multilayer structure" means that the permeation-side flow path member 22 is composed of a plurality of sheets of mesh or net.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, the permeation-side flow path member is preferably in a mesh shape. When the permeation-side flow path member is in a mesh shape and has a multilayer structure having two or more layers, the meshes of each layer of the permeation-side flow path member are preferably the same. If the meshes of each layer are the same, deformation of the permeation-side flow path member due to one layer entering the other layer is less likely to occur, and thus the compressive strength of the permeation-side flow path member is improved. When the permeation-side flow path member has a single-layer structure, and when the permeation-side flow path member has a multilayer structure and the meshes of each layer are the same, the number of meshes of the permeation-side flow path member is preferably 18 meshes or more. The upper limit of the number of meshes is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 150 meshes or less.

[0077] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the permeation-side flow path member is in a mesh shape and has a multilayer structure having two or more layers, the number of meshes of each layer of the permeation-side flow path member may be different. In this case, the number of meshes of the permeation-side flow path member is preferably 50 meshes or more. The upper limit of the number of meshes is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 150 meshes or less. If the number of meshes of the permeation-side flow path member is 50 meshes or more, the openings between the meshes are sufficiently small, so that deformation of the permeation-side flow path member due to one layer entering the other layer is less likely to occur.

[0078] (First tape, second tape) The first tape 25 and the second tape 26 are tapes used to prevent the penetration of the sealing material. The first tape 25 and the second tape 26 can be formed of a material that is impermeable to the sealing material. Examples of such materials include polypropylene, polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene, glass fiber, polyester, and the like. The materials forming the first tape 25 and the second tape 26 may be the same or different. The first tape and the second tape are used during the manufacture of the separation membrane element and may be removed or remain during the use of the separation membrane element.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Example

[0080] 〔Example 1〕 (Preparation of separation membrane) The separation membrane is a composite membrane, and a separation functional layer (Pebax (registered trademark) polyether block amide copolymer), a porous substrate (polyacrylonitrile), and a PET nonwoven fabric as a reinforcing support layer are laminated in this order.

[0081] (Preparation of separation membrane element) The permeate-side channel member used was a PET mesh (mesh count: 18 mesh) with a size of 119 mm in length × 119 mm in width, a fiber diameter of 263 μm, and a thickness of 0.53 mm. The container was made of polycarbonate; a storage container with an outer dimension of 150 mm in length × 150 mm in width × 85 mm in height and an inner dimension of 120 mm in length × 120 mm in width at the four-corner guide portions was used. The separation membrane had a size of 119 mm in length × 119 mm in width. The supply channel member used was a polypropylene diamond net (manufactured by SWM Co., Ltd.; product name NO. 1716) with a size of 119 mm in width × 96 mm in length.

[0082] (Fabrication of separation membrane element) The separation membrane element was fabricated by the method shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 according to the following procedure. 1 First, after installing the permeate-side channel member in the container, an adhesive (Denatite 2204 manufactured by Nagase ChemteX) was applied to both ends (on the length direction L side) of the permeate-side channel member (FIG. 4(b)). 2 The separation membrane was installed so that the separation functional layer faced upward (FIG. 4(c)), and a sealing material A (double-sided tape (Y-4930) manufactured by 3M, width 10 mm × length 150 mm) was attached to the supply-side sealing portion, which was both ends (i.e., on the width direction W side) opposite to the side where the adhesive was applied to the permeate-side channel member (FIG. 4(a)), and then the supply-side channel member was installed (FIG. 4(b)). 3 After installing the separation membrane so that the separation functional layer faced downward (FIG. 4(c)), an adhesive was applied to both ends (i.e., on the length direction L side) of the separation membrane on the side opposite to the supply-side sealing portion. Next, the permeate-side channel member was installed (FIG. 5(a)). 4 The operations 1 to 3 of laminating the permeate-side channel member, the separation membrane, and the supply-side channel member were repeated until there were 20 membrane leaves. The four corners of the membrane leaves and the guide portion in the container were sealed with the adhesive. 5 An adhesive was applied to both ends (i.e., on the length direction L side) of the surface of the permeate-side channel member at the uppermost stage of the membrane leaves. After installing the upper lid of the container, the gap between the upper lid and the container was coated with the adhesive (FIG. 5(b)). Then, at room temperature, seven flanges (10.2 kg) with a diameter of 12 cm and a thickness of 15 mm were installed on the upper lid and dried to cure the adhesive, thereby obtaining a separation membrane element. The effective membrane area of the obtained separation membrane element was 0.2 m 2 It was.

[0083] [Example 2] A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that two layers of the mesh of the permeate-side channel member were used.

[0084] [Example 3] A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the mesh of the permeate-side channel member had a fiber diameter of 250 μm, a thickness of 0.50 mm, was made of polypropylene, and had 25 meshes.

[0085] Example 4 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the meshes of the permeate-side flow path member were used in a double-layered manner.

[0086] Example 5 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh of the permeate-side flow path member had a fiber diameter of 70 μm, a thickness of 0.14 mm, and a mesh count of 50 meshes.

[0087] Example 6 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the meshes of the permeate-side flow path member were used in a double-layered manner.

[0088] Example 7 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh of the permeate-side flow path member had a fiber diameter of 150 μm, a thickness of 0.30 mm, and a mesh count of 50 meshes.

[0089] Example 8 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 7, except that the meshes of the permeate-side flow path member were used in a double-layered manner.

[0090] Example 9 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh of the permeate-side flow path member had a fiber diameter of 70 μm, a thickness of 0.14 mm, and a mesh count of 80 meshes.

[0091] Example 10 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 9, except that the meshes of the permeate-side flow path member were used in a double-layered manner.

[0092] Example 11 A separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh of the permeate-side flow path member had a fiber diameter of 70 μm, a thickness of 0.14 mm, and a mesh count of 100 meshes.

[0093] Example 12 The separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh used in Example 5 (fiber diameter: 70 μm, mesh number: 50 mesh) was sandwiched between the meshes used in Example 11 (fiber diameter: 70 μm, mesh number: 100 mesh), and the resulting mesh (thickness: 0.21 mm) was used as the permeate-side flow path member.

[0094] [Example 13] The separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 7, except that Sealant B (manufactured by 3M, double-sided tape (Y-4920), width: 10 mm × length: 150 mm) was used instead of Sealant A.

[0095] [Comparative Example 1] The separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh used in Example 1 (fiber diameter: 263 nm, mesh number: 18) was sandwiched between the meshes used in Example 3 (fiber diameter: 250 nm, mesh number: 25), and the resulting mesh (thickness: 0.76 mm) was used as the permeate-side flow path member.

[0096] [Comparative Example 2] The separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the mesh used in Example 3 (fiber diameter: 250 nm, mesh number: 25) was sandwiched between the meshes used in Example 5 (fiber diameter: 70 nm, mesh number: 50), and the resulting mesh (thickness: 0.55 mm) was used as the permeate-side flow path member.

[0097] [Comparative Example 3] The separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2, except that Sealant B was used instead of Sealant A.

[0098] [Comparative Example 4] The separation membrane element was obtained in the same manner as in Example 7, except that Sealant C (manufactured by Henkel, two-component epoxy adhesive (90FL)) was used instead of Sealant A.

[0099] [Measurement Method] (Determination of Peel Strength at the Sealing Portion)

[0100] The average peel force (hereinafter also referred to as peel strength) at the supply-side seal of the separation membrane elements created in the examples and comparative examples was determined by the following procedure. The procedure shown below conforms to JIS K 6854-1. 1. The container lid was removed from the separation membrane element, and the laminate was taken out. 2. A test piece was obtained by cutting out from the taken-out laminate a portion including the supply-side seal of the membrane leaf so as to have a size of 100 mm in length × 25 mm in width. 3. The average peel force [N] of the supply-side seal existing between the separation membrane and the supply-side flow path member of the test piece (peeling section 40 mm to 100 mm) was measured by a T-peel test. The T-peel test was carried out using a testing machine ("Desktop Mini Testing Machine EZ-graph" manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) under the condition of a temperature of 25°C.

[0101] (Compression test) The compression deformation amount of the permeation-side flow path member of the separation membrane elements created in the examples and comparative examples was determined by the following procedure. The procedure shown below conforms to JIS K 7181. 1. The container lid was removed from the separation membrane element, and the laminate was taken out. 2. A test piece was obtained by cutting out the permeation-side flow path member of the membrane leaf from the taken-out laminate so as to have a length of 80 mm × 80 mm. 3. The deformation amount of the test piece is the compression deformation amount of the permeation-side flow path member when a load of 900 N is applied at a speed of 0.1 mm / min. The compression test was carried out using a testing machine ("Desktop Mini Testing Machine EZ-graph" manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) under the condition of a temperature of 25°C.

[0102] (Airtightness test) The airtightness test of the separation membrane elements created in the examples and comparative examples was conducted according to the following procedure. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the test apparatus for the airtightness test. Among FIG. 6, two ends parallel to the width direction W of the separation membrane element 1 were respectively made into a supply part 83 communicating with the first supply port 43 (FIG. 5(b)) and a discharge part 84 communicating with the first discharge port 44 (FIG. 5(b)). Two ends parallel to the length direction L of the separation membrane element 1 were respectively made into a supply part 85 communicating with the supply and discharge port 45 (FIG. 6(b)) and a discharge part 86 communicating with the second discharge port 46 (FIG. 5(b)). 1. Using the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, N2 gas at room temperature (20 °C) was supplied into the separation membrane element, and a pressure of 200 kPG (G indicates gauge pressure) was applied to the supply part 83 of the separation membrane element. The pressure was confirmed with a pressure gauge, and the valves of the discharge parts 84 and 86 were closed. 2. The valve of the supply part 85 was closed, the valve of the discharge part 86 was opened, the permeated gas flow rate was measured with a high-precision precision membrane flow meter ("VP-U series" manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.), and the evaluation was carried out according to the following criteria. A: The N2 permeation amount indicated by the membrane flow meter is 40 GPU or less. B: The N2 permeation amount indicated by the membrane flow meter is greater than 40 GPU.

[0103] The test results for the separation membrane elements of the examples and comparative examples are shown in Table 1.

[0104]

Table 1

[0105] 〔Results〕 From Table 1, the separation membrane elements of Examples 1 to 13, in which the compression deformation amount of the permeation-side channel member is 0.40 mm or less and the peel strength of the supply-side sealing part is 1.0 N or more, all have excellent airtightness, and it was shown that the supply-side sealing part did not peel off. Also, from Example 13, it was shown that as long as the compression deformation amount satisfies 0.40 mm or less and the peel strength is sufficient, even if the sealing material is changed, the sealing part does not peel off.

[0106] On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 3 where the compression deformation amount was larger than 0.40 mm, even if the peel strength of the supply-side sealing portion was high, all of them were inferior in airtightness, indicating that the supply-side sealing portion was peeled off. Further, from Comparative Example 4, even if the compression deformation amount was 0.40 mm or less, it was shown that the supply-side sealing portion peeled off when the peel strength was less than 1.0 N.

Industrial Applicability

[0107] One aspect of the present invention can be widely used in a process for separating acidic gases such as CO2 from a mixed gas containing at least acidic gas and water vapor, such as synthesis gas synthesized in a large-scale plant for producing hydrogen or urea, combustion exhaust gas discharged from a power plant, a waste treatment plant, a cement factory, etc., or natural gas and other exhaust gases.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1 separation membrane element, 10 laminate, 11 first end portion, 12 second end portion, 20 membrane laminate portion, 21 separation membrane, 21a first separation membrane (separation membrane), 21b second separation membrane (separation membrane), 22 permeate-side flow path member, 23 supply-side flow path member, 25 first tape, 26 second tape, 31 supply-side sealing portion, 32 permeate-side sealing portion, 33a sealing material, 33b sealing material, 40 container, 41 guide portion, 43 first supply port, 44 first discharge port, 45 supply / discharge port, 46 second discharge port, 47 upper surface portion, 48 lower surface portion, 49 side wall portion, 51 adhesion portion, 52 separation functional layer, 53 porous base material, 81 pressure gauge, 82 flow meter, 83 supply portion, 84 discharge portion, 85 supply portion, 86 discharge portion.

Claims

1. A plate-and-frame type separation membrane element comprising a container and a separation membrane having a region arranged in a flat film shape within the container, wherein the separation membrane has a separation functional layer that selectively separates specific fluid components contained in a raw material fluid, the container houses a laminate having at least two permeate-side channel members through which the permeate fluid that has passed through the separation membrane flows, the separation membrane disposed between the two permeate-side channel members, and a supply-side channel member through which the raw material fluid flows, the separation membrane element has a supply-side sealing portion between the supply-side channel member and the separation membrane, the compression deformation amount of the permeate-side channel member measured by JIS K 7181 is 0.40 mm or less, and the peel strength of the sealing portion measured by JIS K 6854 is 1.0 N or more, a plate-and-frame type separation membrane element.

2. the number of meshes of the permeate-side channel member is 18 meshes or more, when the permeate-side channel member has a multilayer structure having two or more layers, the number of meshes of each layer is the same, the plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to claim 1.

3. the number of meshes of the permeate-side channel member is 50 meshes or more, the plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to claim 1.

4. the thickness of the separation membrane is 10 to 600 μm, the plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the raw material fluid is a gas, the plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. the specific fluid component is an acidic gas, the plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. A separation device comprising the plate-and-frame type separation membrane element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a first supply portion and a first discharge portion communicating with the supply-side channel member, and a second discharge portion communicating with the permeate-side channel member.

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