1247 results about "Hollow fibre membrane" patented technology

A vertical skein of "fibers", opposed terminal portions of which are held in headers unconfined in a modular shell, is aerated with a gas-distribution means which produces a mass of bubbles serving the function of a scrub-brash for the outer surfaces of the fibers. The membrane device is surprisingly effective with relatively little cleansing gas, the specific flux through the membranes reaching an essentially constant relatively high value because the vertical deployment of fibers allows bubbles to rise upwards along the outer surfaces of the fibers. Further, bubbles flowing along the outer surfaces of the fibers make the fibers surprisingly resistant to being fouled by build-up of deposits of inanimate particles or microorganisms in the substrate provided that the length of each fiber is only slightly greater than the direct center-to-center distance between opposed faces of the headers, preferably in the range from at least 0.1% to about 5% greater. For use in a large reservoir, a bank of skeins is used with a gas distributor means and each skein has fibers preferably >0.5 meter long, which together provide a surface area >10 m2. The terminal end portions of fibers in each header are kept free from fiber-to-fiber contact with a novel method of potting fibers.

A hollow fiber microfiltration (MF) membrane is provided. The casting solution used to make this membrane includes a fiber-forming polymer having a degree of polymerization greater than about 1000, a water-soluble polymer, an anhydride with about 2 to 12 carbon atoms, and a solvent. The membrane is formed by mixing and heating these components to form a viscous dope and then extruding the dope through an annular orifice to form a hollow fiber MF membrane. The hollow fiber membrane is then fed through a coagulation bath and two leaching baths. The membrane is especially useful for filtering liquids, such as wine and juice, so as to remove bacteria, gel, and solid particles from the liquids.

An object of the present invention is to provide a water purification cartridge in which the decreased function of the hollow fiber membranes is restored by cleaning and of which the operating cost of a purification treatment of raw water decreases. The present invention provides a water purification cartridge comprising a hollow fiber membrane element comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes bent in a U-shape and a potting material for binding both ends of the hollow fiber membranes so as to maintain the open states of the hollow fiber membranes and a cylindrical hollow fiber membrane case for covering the hollow fiber membranes, wherein the hollow fiber membrane element is detachably installed in the hollow fiber membrane case so that a fluid-tight state is maintained between the primary side and the secondary side of the hollow fiber membranes.

A hollow fiber membrane contactor includes a perforated center tube, a first mat comprising a first hollow fiber membrane, a second mat comprising a second hollow fiber membrane, a first tube sheet, a second tube sheet, a shell, and end caps. The first and second hollow fiber membranes are dissimilar. The first and second mats surround the center tube, and the first and second tube sheets affix the first and second mats to the center tube. The first hollow fiber membrane has a first lumen, and the second hollow fiber membrane has a second lumen. The first lumen may be open at the first tube sheet and closed at the second tube sheet while the second lumen may be open at the second tube sheet and closed at the first tube sheet. The shell surrounds the first and second mats, and it is sealed to the tube sheets. The end caps are affixed to the shell thereby defining headspaces therebetween the tube sheets and the end caps.

Provided are a polysulfone type blood-purifying membrane which is improved in blood compatibility and separation properties and less in polyvinyl pyrrolidone eluting in the internal surface of the hollow fiber membrane, as well as a process for producing the same.

A porous hollow fiber membrane having a particle cutoff within the range of 1 to 10 μm and a pure water permeate flow equal to or higher than 30,000 L/m²/hr/100 kPa. This porous hollow fiber membrane can be prepared by a method including, while a spinning dope containing a base polymer as a material for forming the porous hollow fiber membrane, an additive used for facilitating a phase separation of the spinning dope, a solvent compatible with both the base polymer and the additive and a mass of microparticles insoluble to the compatible solvent and uniformly dispersed in a liquid medium and having an average particle size within the range of 1 to 20 μm, and a coagulating liquid for forming the hollow fiber membrane is used, a step of forming the hollow fiber membrane according to a dry-wet spinning method or a wet spinning method, and a step of extracting and removing the microparticles by immersing the hollow fiber membrane, which has been spun, into an extracting solution effective to dissolve the microparticles, but ineffective to dissolve the base polymer.

The instant invention is a hollow fiber membrane contactor, and method of making same. The hollow fiber membrane contactor includes (1) a shell, said shell having a internal bonding surface, an interlocking geometry ring being provided on said internal bonding surface; (2) a unitized structure; (3) a potting material joining said unitized structure to said shell at said interlocking geometry ring thereby forming an interlocking seal therebetween; and (4) end caps, said end caps being adjoined to lateral ends of said shell. The method of making a hollow fiber membrane contactor includes (1) providing a shell, said shell having a internal bonding surface; (2) providing an interlocking geometry ring on said internal bonding surface; (3) forming a unitized structure; (4) placing the unitized structure into said shell (5) potting said unitized structure to said shell at said interlocking geometry ring thereby forming an interlocking seal therebetween; and (6) adjoining end caps to lateral ends of said shell.

Immersed hollow-fiber membrane filtration systems sometimes encounter process problems as a result of solids accumulation in and around the hollow fibers. The solids can accumulate to the point where they begin to dewater and form a mud like substance known as sludge. In some embodiments of the invention there is provided a process for substantially preventing the accumulation of sludge build-up on membrane fibers and/or cleansing membrane fibers that have been fouled by a substantial sludge build-up. Many of these embodiments involve aerating a membrane tank in which the membrane fibers are immersed after the water level has been reduced to near the level of solids accumulation. In some embodiments of the invention, the energy released by bursting bubbles at the liquid-air interface is employed to prevent fouling of membrane fibers and/or cleanse fouled membrane fibers.

A method of backwashing a membrane filtration system comprising at least one permeable membrane, preferably a hollow fibre membrane, the method comprising the step of applying a pressurised gas at a variable pressure to permeate remaining present in the system when filtration process is stopped or suspended to provide liquid for backwashing pores of the permeable membrane during a backwashing process. Also provided are methods of filtering solids from a liquid suspension using alternating liquid backwash pressures.

The present invention provides a perfluorinated thermoplastic hollow fiber (14) membrane gas-liquid shell side contactor (10) and a process for manufacturing the contactor (10) is described. The present invention also provides a device including a gas-liquid contactor (10) for producing ozonated water.

DCMD and VMD systems and methods for use in desalination applications are provided. The DCMD and VMD systems employ coated porous hydrophobic hollow fiber membranes. The coatings advantageously function to essentially eliminate pore wetting of the membrane, while permitting substantially unimpeded water vapor permeance through the fiber walls. The DCMD and VMD membranes are characterized by larger fiber bore diameters and wall thicknesses. The membranes substantially reduce the loss of brine sensible heat, e.g., heat loss via conductive heat flux through the membrane wall and the vapor space and, in exemplary embodiments, the brine-side heat transfer coefficient is dramatically enhanced by horizontal/vertical cross flow of brine over the outside surface of the coated fibers. Superior water vapor fluxes are achieved with the systems and methods.

The invention belongs to the technical field of membranes and in particular relates to a porous material-polymer gas separation composite membrane. The composite membrane comprises a separation layer and a supporting layer, wherein a porous material-polymer hybrid membrane is adopted as the separation layer; one of a porous flat plate and a tubular or hollow fiber membrane is adopted as the supporting layer; the porous material of the separation layer is metal-organic frame materials (MOFs) with large specific surface area and high gas adsorption. The MOFs are added into the separation layer so that the gas permeation and selectivity of the membrane are obviously improved; the separation layer and the supporting layer are compounded so that the membrane keeps good mechanical property, and the separation layer is allowed to exist in a compact or asymmetric structure. The composite membrane provided by the invention has high gas separation property, good mechanical property and wide industrial application prospect.

A preparation of composite hollow fiber membrane adopts solution phase transfer hollow fiber spinning process, makes poly(ethylene terephthalate) or polysulfone, solvent and pore-forming agent into a base membrane spinning solution of composite hollow fiber membrane, makes polyvinylidene fluoride or other copolymers or mixture of same, solvent and pore-forming agent into composite layer spinning solution of composite hollow fiber membrane and simultaneously extrudes the said two spinning solution and core solution in the hole of the spinneret central pipe through the spinneret for outside condensation bath. The solvents and pore-forming agents in the two kinds of spinning solutions prepared in said step (1) and (2) enters condensation solution phase and the polymers, as the composite layer and the base membrane materials, precipitates into polymer hollow fiber membrane due to phase transfer, producing high-strength and high-flux hydrophilic composite hollow fiber membrane.

A dialysate filter including asymmetric, microporous, hollow fiber membranes incorporating a polyimide. The dialysate filter connects to the dialysis machine immediately before the dialyzer ensuring complete filtration of the dialysate, easy visual inspection, quick installation and removal, and easy disinfection of the filter.

A universal water purifier unitary assembly device comprising a device housing unit support structure, a manually operated air pump, a force-fed water filter cartridge of multiple separable stages and a separable sealing means to seal the junction and opening between said universal water purifier unitary assembly device housing unit support structure and water container of water to be filtered wherein junction and opening between of said water purifier unitary assembly device housing unit support structure and said water container is sealed to retain compressed air. Water of said container is filtered, treated and used as needed on demand as in a group environment wherein individual use and consumption of purified water is relevant. The water is stored in a container, being pumped from the container by compressed air provided by an air pump. Filter elements include sediment and cyst removal filters, ion exchange resins, semi-permeable membranes including a hollow fiber membrane, porous activated carbon particles and activated carbon blocks. The device housing unit support structure unifies the functional elements of the invention as an operational unit of easy transport for use with any water container of a suitably sized mouth.

The invention discloses hydrophilic polyethylene hollow fiber microporous membrane and preparation process thereof. Said membrane is characterized in that it mainly comprises polyethylene, amphoteric copolymer containing polyethylene oxide, and inorganic nano particles. The membrane preparing process is carried out based on thermally induced phpase separation and surface segregation principles, comprising the steps of (1) preparing membrane blank by fusion and blending of amphoteric copolymer containing polyethylene oxide, diluent, and inorganic nano particles; (2) preparing hollow fiber membrane precursor by hollow process spinning of membrane blank in molten state; (3) extracting diluent in hollow fiber membrane precursor by using organic solvent to obtain said hydrophilic polyethylene hollow fiber microporous membrane, wherein the porosity of said membrane is between 40% and 80%, and average pore diameter is between 0.1mum and 5.0mum. The microporous membrane in the invention has the characteristics of high hydrophilicity, narrow pore size distribution, high strength, and good chemical stability, and serves as micro-filtration and ultra-filtration membrane material with high performance, low cost, pollution resistance, and long serve life for water treatment.

The melt spinning process of producing hollow fiber membrane includes the first mixing inorganic particle, polymer pore creating agent, surfactant and non-solvent to constitute spinning composition, heating the composition to temperature higher than the smelting point of the polymer, the subsequent extruding the melt through spinning head and cooling to form hollow fiber, and final eliminating the inorganic particle, polymer pore creating agent, surfactant and non-solvent to produce the hollow fiber membrane. The spinning composition consists of polymer 20-90 wt%, inorganic pore creating agent 5-50 wt%, polymer pore creating agent 1-30 wt%, surfactant 0.05-20 wt%, and organic non-solvent 1-60 wt%.

The inert gas generating system includes a compressed air source, a cooling air source, and a separation module. The separation module includes first and second inlets and outlets. The first inlet is coupled to the compressed air source. The first outlet is coupled to the first inlet via a bundle of hollow fiber membranes. The second inlet is coupled to the cooling air source, and the second outlet is coupled to the second inlet via a space surrounding the bundle of hollow fiber membranes.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for producing hollow fiber membrane-containing filters. The methods include laying a plurality of hollow fibers in a first portion of a filter housing to form a bundle, forming first and second portions into a filter housing, sealing the portions together, connecting the plurality of hollow fibers together at at least one end of the filter housing, connecting the hollow fibers to the filter housing, and simultaneously adhering the first and second portions of the filter housing together by applying a potting compound thereto, and cutting the ends of the hollow fibers at at least one end thereof, whereby the hollow fibers include open ends.

A method and system for improving gas exchange properties of oxygenators which utilize hollow fiber membranes for removing carbon dioxide or adding oxygen to a patient's blood via extracorporeal circulation by removing moisture accumulating in the fibers are disclosed. The system utilizes a vacuum source for drawing sweep gas into the oxygenator, a moisture collection unit for storing moisture removed from the oxygenator, the moisture collecting unit being in communication with the oxygenator and the vacuum source and a flow control mechanism having an open position which allows sweep gas exiting the oxygenator to flow to the moisture collecting unit and a closed position which stops the flow of sweep gas from the oxygenator to the moisture collecting unit. The vacuum source draws sweep gas through the oxygenator and moisture collecting unit when the flow control mechanism is in the open position and the vacuum source creates a vacuum buildup in the moisture collecting unit when the flow control mechanism is in the closed position. The vacuum in the moisture collecting unit provides a sudden increase to the flow rate of the sweep gas to draw moisture with the sweep gas exiting the oxygenator when the flow control mechanism is returned to the open position.

A method of treating a hollow fiber membrane microfiltration filter having an influent side and an effluent side to improve performance of the filter is disclosed. The method entails sealing imperfections in surfaces of the filter by flushing the filter with a liquid aqueous suspension of particulates. Filter cartridge devices also are disclosed. The devices may include a bactericidal chamber. A radial flow filter may be included in the devices. The filter cartridges may include a drain tube positioned within the filter for removing of effluent generated by the filter. A plurality of filter cartridges may be positioned on the drain tube.

A process for compounding a single hydrophilic layer onto the surface of the hollow meta-fluoroethylene fibre membrane which has the double bond, hydroxy and carboxy groups on its surface features that the cross-linking agent chosen from dialdehyde, diacid and triacid is used to chemically bond the hydrophilic material chosen from cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan onto the surface of said membrane.