Composite Membrane for Heat Exchange via Polymer-Nanomaterial Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchange membranes face challenges in achieving high-selectivity permeation of water vapor while blocking carbon dioxide, leading to inadequate enthalpy heat exchange efficiency, and suffer from issues such as water resistance and structural stability.
Innovation Solution
A composite membrane with a porous layer and a non-porous dense layer, comprising a polymer mixture and nanomaterials, forms a triple interpenetrating network structure through self-assembly and non-covalent cross-linking, enhancing gas barrier performance and moisture permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrophilic polymers are used as the bulk structure of heat exchange membranes to enable high latent heat exchange efficiency, then moisture permeability is improved, but water resistance and structural stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining hydrophilic polymers with inorganic nanomaterials (such as metal oxides, metal hydroxides, or metal carboxylates) to create a hybrid membrane structure. The inorganic components provide structural stability and water resistance while the hydrophilic polymer matrix maintains high moisture permeability and latent heat exchange efficiency. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between moisture permeability and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions with different properties within the membrane structure. The hydrophilic polymer regions provide high moisture permeability for latent heat exchange, while the inorganic nanomaterial regions provide structural stability and water resistance. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows the membrane to simultaneously achieve both high moisture permeability and structural stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional membrane materials are used to achieve good water resistance, then structural stability is improved, but moisture permeability and latent heat exchange efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines inorganic materials providing water resistance with hydrophilic polymers providing moisture permeability. The inorganic nanomaterials form a stable framework that resists water while the hydrophilic polymer matrix allows water vapor transmission, achieving both water resistance and high moisture permeability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane structure contains localized regions where inorganic materials provide water resistance and hydrophilic polymer regions provide moisture permeability. This local differentiation enables the overall membrane to achieve both water resistance and high latent heat exchange efficiency.
3Reliability
If polymer membranes are used to achieve high selective permeability to water vapor, then latent heat exchange efficiency is improved, but gas barrier performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials where inorganic nanomaterials provide gas barrier properties by blocking gas molecule penetration, while hydrophilic polymers provide selective permeability to water vapor through dissolution-diffusion mechanisms. The synergistic combination resolves the contradiction between selective permeability and gas barrier performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane contains regions with different functional properties: hydrophilic polymer regions that selectively transport water vapor molecules through dissolution and diffusion, and inorganic nanomaterial regions that provide gas barrier properties by blocking gas molecule penetration. This local functional differentiation achieves both high selective permeability and effective gas barrier performance.
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 composite membrane achieves high-selectivity separation of water vapor and gases, ensuring high-efficiency latent heat exchange and improved durability, suitable for use in energy recovery ventilators.
Implementation Method 1
gas molecules reach a surface of the dense layer through random collision, where segment structures of the hydrophilic polymer interact and bond to water vapor molecules through hydrophilicity thereof, thus the water molecules can be quickly adsorbed and dissolved on the surface of the dense layer
Implementation Method 2
water molecules can be quickly adsorbed and dissolved on the surface of the dense layer
Implementation Method 3
unoccupied free volumes between polymer chains can allow the water molecules accumulated on the surface of the non-porous dense layer to reach the other side of the non-porous dense layer through a concentration difference driven Fick diffusion process, thus realizing latent heat exchange
Implementation Method 4
Self-assembly occurs between the second polymer and the nanomaterial. Hydrophobic segments of the second polymer are entangled on a surface of the nanomaterial through relatively strong interaction with the nanomaterial arising from intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, Van der Waals force, and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction
Implementation Method 5
Hydrophobic segments of the second polymer are entangled on a surface of the nanomaterial through relatively strong interaction with the nanomaterial arising from intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonding
Implementation Method 6
Hydrophobic segments of the second polymer are entangled on a surface of the nanomaterial through relatively strong interaction with the nanomaterial arising from intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, Van der Waals force
Implementation Method 7
the porous layer serves as a supporting layer and endows the composite membrane with relatively good capacity to withstand transmembrane pressure difference
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a composite membrane, a preparation method therefor, and use thereof. The composite membrane comprises a porous layer and a non-porous dense layer arranged on one side of the porous layer. The non-porous dense layer comprises a polymer mixture and a nanomaterial. The polymer mixture comprises a first polymer and a second polymer. The first polymer comprises a hydrophilic polymer. The second polymer comprises an amphiphilic polymer. The composite membrane of the present application has excellent moisture permeability, gas barrier performance, and water wash durability, and can be used as a heat exchange membrane for assembling a total heat exchange original part according to an existing method for use in an energy recovery ventilator.