Carbon Membrane Pore Loading for Water Adsorption Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Carbon membranes experience a decline in separation performance over time due to water adsorption, and existing methods to inhibit this, such as silylation, reduce permeability or are ineffective for mixed liquids of organic solvents.
Innovation Solution
Loading alcohol, ether, or ketone into the pores of the carbon membrane to create a steric barrier that prevents water adsorption and maintains high selectivity and permeability, with a manufacturing method involving immersion and heat-drying to achieve optimal pore structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silylation treatment is applied to the carbon membrane surface to inhibit water adsorption, then water adsorption is reduced and permeation performance is maintained, but pore size decreases and permeability rate falls off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces alcohol, ether, or ketone molecules as intermediary substances loaded into the carbon membrane pores. These molecules act as mediators that physically block water adsorption without chemically modifying the membrane surface. The loaded molecules create a steric barrier that prevents water from reaching and adsorbing onto the carbon membrane surface, thereby maintaining both high permeability and stable permeation performance over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-loading alcohol, ether, or ketone molecules into the carbon membrane pores before the membrane is put into service. This preliminary loading ensures that the pores are occupied by these molecules from the outset, creating immediate protection against water adsorption. The heat-drying step at 50-200°C further consolidates this preliminary action by ensuring proper molecular distribution and attachment within the pores.
2Reliability
If the carbon membrane is immersed in acidic aqueous solution to improve hydrophilicity, then water selectivity is improved for water-organic solvent separation, but the effect is uncertain for mixed liquids of organic solvents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the type of loaded molecule (alcohol, ether, or ketone), the loading amount, and the heat-drying temperature (50-200°C). By changing these parameters, the membrane's separation performance can be optimized for different application scenarios. The loaded molecules modify the pore environment's polarity and steric characteristics, enabling effective separation across diverse liquid mixtures including mixed organic solvents, not just water-organic solvent systems.
3Reliability
If alcohol, ether, or ketone is loaded in the pores to prevent water adsorption, then separation performance stability is improved, but additional manufacturing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The loading of alcohol, ether, or ketone molecules is performed as a preliminary action during the membrane manufacturing process, before the membrane is deployed. This preliminary loading, followed by heat-drying at 50-200°C, ensures that the protective molecules are in place from the outset, eliminating the need for separate post-manufacturing treatment steps and simplifying the overall process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The carbon membrane maintains high separation performance and selectivity over time, with improved permeability and resistance to water adsorption, using linear alcohols or ethers as effective loaded components.
Implementation Method 1
alcohol, ether, or ketone is loaded in a pore of the carbon membrane... the carbon membrane can inhibit a water molecule or the like in air to further be adsorbed
Implementation Method 2
followed by heat-drying at 50 to 200°C
Implementation Method 3
the pore of the carbon membrane has a structure where a desired molecule easily permeates and where the other molecules hardly permeate to have high selectivity and permeability
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
AI summary
A porous carbon membrane has as a loaded component water, alcohol, ether, or ketone loaded on a surface or in a pore, or on the surface and in the pore thereof. The carbon membrane has the loaded component preferably having a molecular weight of 100 or less. The carbon membrane has the loaded component preferably being linear alcohol or linear ether. The carbon membrane has the loaded component preferably being at least one selected from methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, and n-butanol. There is provided a carbon membrane having high separation performance and little change in the separation performance with the passage of time.