366 results about "Hydrophobic membranes" patented technology

The present invention relates to filtration media having both hydrophobic (water-repellent) properties. The filtration media are produced using a fluorothermoplastic material, such as a terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and hexafluoropropylene. The invention also relates to methods of preparing such filtration media using casting solution phase inversion.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to devices and methods for detecting cellular products using detection particles having product-specific detection reagents and having a characteristic spectral feature. In particular, devices and methods are provided for measuring secreted cellular products including cytokines. Detection substrates, include microwells having product-specific capture reagents thereon or comprising hydrophobic membranes are described having greater capability to detect products from individual cells in a mixture of heterogeneous cells. With the use of multiple detection particles, multiple cellular products can be detected in a single well. Additionally, using the inherent spectral properties of detection particles, no enzymatic reactions are needed to visualize a secreted product, thereby increasing the sensitivity, reproducibility and ease of use.

Compositions and methods are taught for directing the orientation of an immobilized capture biomolecule on a hydrophobic membrane. The method comprises layering at least one tie layer on a hydrophobic membrane, adding an amine functional layer on top of at least one tie layer; and attaching an alignment biomolecule to the amine functional layer. The alignment biomolecule has the ability to either capture a target biomolecule itself and thus be considered a capture biomolecule, or bind and orient the immobilized capture biomolecule so as to maximize the binding activity of the immobilized capture biomolecule. In one embodiment, a nickel-coordinated amine functional layer binds with a histidine-tagged alignment biomolecule. In another embodiment, an amine functional layer reacts, via tyrosinase catalysis, with a tyrosine residue in an alignment biomolecule.

The invention provides a three-dimensional oil-water separating material based on the static spinning technology and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the technical field of water treatment. The method specifically comprises the following steps: (a) preparing a static spinning solution; (b) selecting a proper solvent to directly receive static spinning nano fibers to obtain a nano fiber solution; (c) shaping and freezing the nano fiber solution, and drying through a freezing drying machine to obtain the three-dimensional nano fibers; (d) pre-oxidizing, carbonizing and activating the three-dimensional nano fibers to obtain three-dimensional carbon nano fibers; (e) wrapping the three-dimensional carbon nano fiber glue with lipophilic and hydrophobic films so as to obtain the final three-dimensional oil-water separating material. According to the preparation method of the three-dimensional oil-water separating material, the composition and structure of the material are easily controlled; the mechanical performance and hydrophobic performance of the materials can be effectively improved; the oil-water separating effect is good; the material can be recycled and has a wide application prospect in the oil-water separation field.

A method of manufacturing a hydrophilic membrane and hydrophilic membranes having improved antifouling property using a supercritical fluid or a subcritical fluid. The method involves combining a coating solution from a hydrophilic group-containing monomer, an initiator, a cross-linking agent and a supercritical fluid or subcritical fluid in a high pressure solution vessel and transferring the coating solution to a membrane in a high pressure coating vessel, coating the surfaces and micropores of the membranes through cross-linking polymerization reactions. Non-reacted coating material is returned to the high pressure solution vessel. The membranes are removed from the coating vessel, cleaned and dried. The hydrophilic membrane manufactured by the present invention is excellent in properties of hydrophobic membranes such as thermal stability, chemical stability and mechanical strength, and surfaces and micropores of the membranes are uniformly coated.

Compositions and methods are taught for directing the orientation of an immobilized capture biomolecule on a hydrophobic membrane. The method comprises layering at least one tie layer on a hydrophobic membrane, adding an amine functional layer on top of at least one tie layer; and attaching an alignment biomolecule to the amine functional layer. The alignment biomolecule has the ability to either capture a target biomolecule itself and thus be considered a capture biomolecule, or bind and orient the immobilized capture biomolecule so as to maximize the binding activity of the immobilized capture biomolecule. In one embodiment, a nickel-coordinated amine functional layer binds with a histidine-tagged alignment biomolecule. In another embodiment, an amine functional layer reacts, via tyrosinase catalysis, with a tyrosine residue in an alignment biomolecule.

Composite porous hydrophobic membranes are prepared by forming a perfluorohydrocarbon layer on the surface of a preformed porous polymeric substrate. The substrate can be formed from poly(aryl ether ketone) and a perfluorohydrocarbon layer can be chemically grafted to the surface of the substrate. The membranes can be utilized for a broad range of fluid separations, such as microfiltration, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration as membrane contactors for membrane distillation and for degassing and dewatering of fluids. The membranes can further contain a dense ultra-thin perfluorohydrocarbon layer superimposed on the porous poly(aryl ether ketone) substrate and can be utilized as membrane contactors or as gas separation membranes for natural gas treatment and gas dehydration.

A highly accurate, long life, low cost gas sensor is disclosed, particularly useful for measuring carbon monoxide and other toxic gases in an environment. The gas sensor has a first, sensing electrode and a second, counting electrode. Positioned between the first and second electrodes is an ion conducting, solid electrolyte membrane. In response to the presence of a toxic gas introduced to the first electrode, an electric signal is produced between the first electrode and the second electrode. The electric signal changes in response to changes in the concentration of the toxic gas. Detection circuitry measures the electric signal to determine the concentration of the toxic gas. An electrically conductive, hydrophobic top membrane electrically connects the first electrode to the detection circuitry while preventing liquid water from contacting the first electrode. An electrically conductive, hydrophobic bottom membrane electrically connects the second electrode to the detection circuitry. The top and bottom membranes, though hydrophobic, are preferably also microporous so as to be gas permeable, including permeable to water vapor. Preferably the top and bottom membranes are ion insulating as well. Optionally the sensor is provided with a water reservoir to maintain constant relative humidity at the ion conducting electrolyte membrane. The sensor may also have a heating element. Internal and external self-diagnostic features to ensure that the sensor is functioning normally are disclosed, as well as self-calibration features, so as to ensure sensor accuracy.

There is provided herein a system and method for treating source water to remove contaminants such as oil from oil-fields produced water. In some embodiments, source water containing CO2, endotoxins, foulants, sulfate, and oxygen will be treated with aluminum nitrate or iron nitrate, separating the CO2 and endotoxins from the treated water, removing the foulants by mixing hydrated lime and an amine solvent with the treated water, and separating the dissolved oxygen and recovering the amine solvent using a hydrophobic membrane.

The invention discloses a super hydrophobic modification method for polyvinylidene fluoride hydrophobic membranes and belongs to the technical field of membrane separation. The method comprises: preparing membrane casting solution by using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) serving as a solvent and non-solvent low-molecular-weight alcohol and aging the membrane casting solution to form upper membrane solution; preparing membrane casting solution by using PVDF, DMAC, LiCl or / and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and aging the membrane casting solution to form lower membrane solution, wherein the PVDF content in the lower membrane solution is higher than that in the upper membrane solution; scraping the lower membrane solution and the upper membrane solution on a glass plate in turn, and placing the glass plate in air at 50 to 75 DEG C and at a water relative humidity of 80 to 100 percent to obtain a primary ecological membrane; and immersing in running water for stripping the membrane and drying to obtain a polyvinylidene fluoride composite film of which the surface is super hydrophobic. In the invention, the method is simple, the process flow is short, the cost is low, and the prepared membrane has high flux and high salt rejection rate.

The invention provides a membrane aeration and membrane separation coupled sewage treatment device and method, wherein the hydrophobic membrane for aeration and the hydrophilic membrane for separation are mounted in a common cylinder shaped reactor, forming a membrane aeration and separation reactor, a bioreactor is also arranged on the reflux line, so as to realize circulatory flow of the treated sewage water between the two reactors, thus achieving the coupling of aeration, membrane separation and biological degradation.

The invention provides a method for removing free moisture or emulsified water by a hydrophobic film. In the method, the hydrophobic film is used as a filtering medium; petroleum products with higher content of water pass through the hydrophobic film under operating pressure which is not exceeding aqueous phase penetrating pressure by hydrophobic nature of the film; then moisture content is intercepted by the hydrophobic film, thus obtaining oil products with lower content of moisture. The method of the invention can be applicable to removal of moisture for many oil products avoiding of the effects of moisture content and temperature. The method of the invention is characterized in that removal of moisture content of the oil products can be carried out in real time in the process of oil delivery without adding any reagents, thus greatly reducing energy consumption, featuring in high dehydration rate and great operational flexibility; the whole manufacturing process is easy and large scale industrialized application of the method can be easily realized.

A method is provided for substantially instantaneously wetting hydrophobic, porous polymeric membranes and for rendering hydrophobic membranes hydrophilic. The method involves treating the membrane with a non-alcoholic aqueous solution of a low molecular weight surfactant, and then drying the treated membrane. The low molecular weight surfactant exhibits high polymer affinity for the hydrophobic membrane substrate as well as high water solubility; a preferred surfactant is sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). The method is particularly useful for treating hydrophobic membranes such as those made of polyolefins, fluorinated or chlorinated polymers, polysulfone, or polyethersulfone, preferably having a pore size of about 0.01 microns to about 1 micron. A wettable membrane is thus provided as the aqueous surfactant solution is absorbed into the hydrophobic membrane.

The present disclosure relates to improved efficient and effective systems and methods of manufacturing hydrophilic polyethersulfone (PES) membrane suitable for commercial applications and the resultant hydrophilic polyethersulfone (PES) membrane suitable for commercial applications produced thereby and includes methods of manufacturing hydrophilic polyethersulfone (PES) membrane comprising the acts of: providing hydrophobic PES membrane; prewetting the hydrophobic PES membrane in a sufficient amount of a liquid having a sufficiently low surface tension; exposing the wet hydrophobic PES membrane to a sufficient amount of an aqueous solution of oxidizer; and after the exposing act, heating the hydrophobic PES membrane for a sufficient time at a sufficient temperature.

The invention relates to a digital micro-droplet drive with deep submicron pore structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The invention is characterized in that the digital droplet drive comprises two structures of a bipolar plate and a monopolar plate. The lower polar plate of the structure of the bipolar plate is composed of an insulating substrate, a driving electrode array, a dielectric layer, a deep submicron pore structure and a hydrophobic film layer. The upper polar plate comprises an insulating base plate, a reference electrode layer, a deep submicron pore structure and a hydrophobic film layer. The upper polar plate and the lower polar plate are connected by a supporting structure. The driving electrodes are uniformly distributed on the insulating substrate in the shape of an array, the dielectric layer is coated on the driving electrode array, and the deep submicron pore structures and the hydrophobic film layers form a super-hydrophobic film layer that is coated on the dielectric layer. The structures of the lower polar plates in the monopolar plate structure and the bipolar plate structure are the same. The invention uses the deep submicron pore structures to effectively enhance the hydrophobic properties of the hydrophobic film layers, effectively reducing the thickness of the structure and reducing driving voltage.

The invention relates to a preparation method for an easily-cleaned hydrophobic membrane used on the surface of an automotive body. A hydrophobing agent is prepared, by weight, by the following steps: adding 1-5 parts of low surface energy matter, 0.1-2 parts of catalyst and 0.5-5 parts of deionized water in 70-95 parts of organic solvent, conducting backflow stirring for 30min-150min at the temperature of 40-100 DEG C, obtaining a mixed solution A, adding 0.5-5 parts of first coupling reagent, 1-10 parts of second coupling reagent and 0.1-2 parts of catalyst in 70-95 parts of organic solvent, stirring for 20-100min at the indoor temperature, obtaining a mixed solution B, using the organic solvent to wash the surface of a varnish layer on the surface of the automotive body, keeping the surface dry, then evenly mixing the mixed solution A with the mixed solution B according to the mass proportion of 1-2:1, coating the varnish layer of the automotive body with a mixed solution of the mixed solution A and the mixed solution B, and stewing for 4-72 hours at the normal temperature. According to the preparation method, the coupling reagents are added in the hydrophobic membrane layer, a coupling reagent middle layer can be additionally arranged between the hydrophobic membrane layer and the coating surface, the binding force of the hydrophobic membrane layer and the coating is improved, and the durability of the hydrophobic membrane layer is improved.

The invention discloses a solar photovoltaic waste heat-joule heat gradient utilization seawater desalination system, and belongs to the field of renewable energy source utilization. The system mainlycomprises a high-transmittance glass cover plate, a solar photovoltaic cell, heat conduction silica gel, a heat conduction aluminum plate, a seawater flow channel, an electric heating layer, a hydrophobic film layer, a condensate flow channel, aheat preservation and insulation layer a seawater storage tank, a condensate collecting tank, a washing tank and an efficient fin radiator. The system iscomposed of multiple layers of seawater desalination devices. The desalination devicesare arranged in the heat preservation and insulation layer, the high-transmittance glass cover plate, the solar photovoltaic cell, the heat conduction silica gel, the heat conduction aluminum plate, the electric heating layer, the hydrophobic film layer, the seawater flow channel, the seawater storage tank and the condensed water collection tank are sequentially arranged in the heat preservation and insulation layer from top to bottom. Waste heat and electric energy generated by power generation of the solarphotovoltaic cell are utilized, energy is utilized in situ or in a gradient mode to participate in sea water desalination, solar energy is utilized to the maximum extent, and meanwhile the evaporationefficiency and the sea water desalination capacity of the system are greatly improved.

The invention relates to a wetting-resisting super-hydrophobic membrane and a preparation method thereof. Combined nanoparticles are coated with a low surface energy solution to form a rough structure, and a PDMS-SiO2-PDMS sandwich compound layer is formed on the surface of the membrane. The compound layer has the advantages of rough structure and low surface energy, the membrane has super hydrophobicity, and the membrane further has high wetting resistance in a membrane distilling process. The membrane can be utilized to perform direct contact type membrane distillation to treat a water bodycontaining a surface active agent, so that membrane distillation operation time is obviously prolonged, stable operation time is 20 times or more of that of a PVDF original membrane, and water production capacity can be improved by 15 times or more.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to devices and methods for detecting cellular products using detection particles having product-specific detection reagents and having a characteristic spectral feature. In particular, devices and methods are provided for measuring secreted cellular products including cytokines. Detection substrates, include microwells having product-specific capture reagents thereon or comprising hydrophobic membranes are described having greater capability to detect products from individual cells in a mixture of heterogeneous cells. With the use of multiple detection particles, multiple cellular products can be detected in a single well. Additionally, using the inherent spectral properties of detection particles, no enzymatic reactions are needed to visualize a secreted product, thereby increasing the sensitivity, reproducibility and ease of use.

Method and devices for filtering liquid are provided that rely on pressure difference to filter liquid. In one embodiment, a device for filtering liquid includes a feed chamber, a permeate chamber, and a porous membrane that is at least partially hydrophobic and has one or more pores configured to be permeable to vapor. A pressure of a liquid substance in the feed chamber is increased such that vapor of the liquid substance is transported from the feed chamber to the permeate chamber. The resistance of flow in a hydrophilic layer of the membrane can be controlled to make the membrane defect-tolerant. In another embodiment, a second porous membrane is further included and the second porous membrane is spaced apart from the first porous membrane. Various methods for filtering liquid are also provided.

A device for protecting medical apparatus from contamination by infectious agents comprises a containment body having an inlet destined to be set in fluid communication with an extracorporeal circuit of blood, and an outlet destined to be connected to a fluid line operatively connected to a pressure gauge of a medical apparatus. The inlet is in gas communication with the outlet across an internal cavity of the containment body. Two hydrophobic membranes are predisposed in the containment body between the inlet and the outlet. The membranes each define an anticontamination barrier which is gas-permeable. The device transmits the pressure of the extracorporeal circuit to the pressure gauge, with no relevant loss of head, while at the same time protecting, with a high degree of security, the medical apparatus from risks of contamination by pathogens originating in the extracorporeal circuit.

The invention discloses a method for preparing polylactic acid super-hydrophobic membranes by the aid of a phase separation process, and belongs to the field of high-polymer materials. The method includes steps of (1), preparing pre-coating liquid, to be more specific, uniformly mixing poor solvents and good solvents with one another to prepare mixed solvents, and dissolving polylactic acid in the mixed solvents to obtain the pre-coating liquid; (2), preparing coating liquid, to be more specific, adding poor solvents in the pre-coating liquid, and uniformly stirring the poor solvents and the pre-coating liquid to obtain the coating liquid; (3), carrying smearing and drying, to be more specific, smearing the coating liquid on carriers, and drying the carriers to obtain the polylactic acid super-hydrophobic membranes. The method has the advantages that super-hydrophobic surfaces with micrometer-nanometer two-level structures are prepared by the aid of the non-solvent auxiliary process at one step, the method is easy to operate, conditions are mild, curing and steam inducing can be omitted in membrane forming procedures, gel procedures can be omitted, accordingly, the reaction time can be shortened, and the method is high in work efficiency; inorganic nanometer particles or substances with low surface energy can be omitted in super-hydrophobic membrane preparing procedures, and accordingly the polylactic acid super-hydrophobic membranes are low in manufacturing cost.

The invention relates to a novel hydrophobic membrane and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: dissolving 0-15wt% of a pore-forming agent and 70-80wt% of an organic solvent, uniformly mixing to obtain a mixture I, adding 8-25wt% of PVDF-CTFE copolymer powder after being subjected to drying dehumidification into the mixture I to obtain a mixture II, and stirring the mixture II for 24h or more at the constant temperature of 25-70 DEG C at the speed of 50-1400rpm until the mixture II is uniformly mixed; standing for defoaming for 12h or more at the temperature of 25-70 DEG C to form uniform film casting liquid; scraping the film casting liquid by a film scraping device to obtain a primary film; and soaking the primary film for 24h in a sol-gel bath formed by tap water, and airing in an air environment to obtain the novel hydrophobic membrane. Compared with the prior art, the novel hydrophobic membrane has a more obvious crystalline structure, a better hydrophobic performance, the narrower pore diameter distribution, and a more communicated pore structure, and can show the higher permeant flux and produced water quality in the membrane distillation application; the method has the wide application prospect in hydrophobic membrane preparation and application fields.

A method and system for recycling and treating dyeing wastewater are provided. To begin with, the dyeing wastewater is added with an adsorbent for assisted decolorization and filtration. Then, the wastewater is filtered with a first filtration device having hydrophilic membranes. The liquid having passed through the hydrophilic membranes undergoes an RO membrane-base filtration process to produce recycled water and concentrated wastewater. The concentrated wastewater is delivered into a second filtration device having hydrophobic membranes, before a micro-bubbling process is performed on the concentrated wastewater in the second filtration device to turn the concentrated wastewater into a creamy-white nebulized working liquid of high gas content. The steam in the working liquid can readily pass through the hydrophobic membranes to produce an effluent that meets effluent standards.

The efficient and cheap sea water desalting membrane distillation system includes one sea water feeding loop; one micro bubble forming unit to pump sea water, pressurize and emulsify sea water into work liquid containing saturated water vapor; one desalting unit with at least one ventilation room, porous hydrophobic membranes inside the ventilation room, separate high temperature sea water regions, into which work liquid containing saturated water vapor is pumped into, and low temperature condensated fresh water regions; and one condensating desalting unit to condensate fresh water connected successively.

The invention discloses a slot-type solar sea water desalination device based on membrane distillation, and belongs to the field of seawater desalination. Regarding the current mainstream solar seawater desalination technology (such as solar multi-effect evaporation, solar multi-stage flash evaporation, solar reverse osmosis and the like) has limitations of high investment, low solar heat utilization, low system device efficiency and the like, and heat energy required by seawater distillation in the invention comes from solar energy emitted by a slot-type condenser mirror, wherein solar energyis reflected and condensed onto an arc heat collection tube in a membrane assembly, and is used for heating seawater flowing in the tube; after the seawater in the heat collection tube is heated, vapor pressure deficit is formed on two sides of a hydrophobic distillation membrane in the membrane assembly due to temperature difference; due to the pressure deficit of two sides of the membrane, moisture in seawater penetrates through pores of the hydrophobic membrane in a vapor mode, and a vapor stream is formed in the channel on the other side of the hydrophobic membrane; and finally the vaporis condensed to obtain liquid fresh water, and is collected in a fresh water tank.

The invention relates to a preparation method of a novel super-oleophylic and super-hydrophobic separation membrane. The preparation method comprises steps as follows: (1) hydrophobic monomers are polymerized through free radical polymerization, precipitated in water and subjected to vacuum drying, and a hydrophobic modified polymer is obtained; (2) the hydrophobic modified polymer is dissolved in a solvent I, and a modified solution is obtained; (3) the modified solution is applied to the surface of a separation membrane and inner sides of membrane pores, and a hydrophobic membrane surface is obtained after the solvent is evaporated. The preparation method is simple and facilitates industrial production and amplification, and the separation membrane has great oil and water separation performance.

A membrane distilling process for desalinating seawater includes filtering seawater, bubbling while pressure floating to rmeove seaweeds and solid impurities, bubbling again to mix air with water to become emulsion and making the bubbles contain saturated water vapour, delivering it into a desalinating equipment containing one or more porous hydrophobic membranes to penetrate the emulsion containing a lot of saturated water vapour through the membrane, and condensing the water vapour to obtain fresh water.

Belonging to the technical field of rice storage monitoring, the invention relates to a method for detection of freshness during rice storage. The method includes: firstly using a gas acquisition probe equipped with a heating device and a special filter screen to acquire the volatile gas in grain storage equipment, then employing a 3CCD camera to acquire the sensor array on a hydrophobic membrane and the R, G, B images of rice sample gas before and after reaction, processing the images by a computer, and finally introducing color signal values into a linear discriminant analysis model to calculate the freshness of the output rice sample. The method detects rice freshness through its volatile smell, and is a green, rapid and nondestructive method. Compared with the traditional chemical detection methods, the method provided by the invention is convenient and pollution-free, and has certain consistency with the sensory evaluation of human. Compared with artificial feel, the method has good objectivity and reproducibility. The method provided by the invention has important practical significance for meeting consumers' demands for food quality and safety and enterprises' demands for full use of raw materials and maximum benefits.