Composite Membrane Production via Scraping and Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing composite membranes are costly, inefficient, and result in membranes with defects and low durability due to the use of excessive materials and sandwiching processes, leading to quality fluctuations and curling issues.
Innovation Solution
A continuous process for producing composite membranes that involves impregnating a poriferous support with a curable composition, scraping off excess composition to ensure symmetry, and curing without sandwiching, which reduces defects and curling, while maintaining high quality and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the poriferous support is sandwiched between two outer films during curing, then the membrane structure is protected, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the outer films from the curing process entirely. The poriferous support is impregnated with curable composition and cured without being sandwiched between protective films. This eliminates the complexity of sandwiching machinery while the support itself serves as the structural base for the membrane.
2Ease of manufacture
If excess polymer is removed after polymerization, then the membrane surface is cleaned, but manufacturing cost increases and surface defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes excess curable composition from the surface of the poriferous support before curing takes place. This preliminary removal prevents polymer waste generation after polymerization and eliminates surface defects that would occur if excess polymer were removed post-curing. The support is impregnated, excess is scraped off, and then curing is applied to the controlled amount of composition remaining in the pores.
3Productivity
If the membrane is made thin for efficient separation, then separation performance improves, but mechanical strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite membrane structure where a poriferous support (providing mechanical strength) is combined with a cured polymer composition filling its pores (providing separation function). The support maintains structural integrity while the thin polymer filling provides efficient separation. This composite approach allows thin membranes to achieve both high separation performance and adequate mechanical strength.
4Ease of manufacture
If cheap raw materials are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but quality homogeneity becomes unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the impregnation process parameters to ensure consistent filling of the poriferous support pores with curable composition. By controlling parameters such as composition viscosity, impregnation pressure, and scraping conditions, the process achieves homogeneous membrane quality even with cost-effective materials. The continuous production process further ensures parameter consistency across batches.
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 process enables the production of high-quality, symmetrical composite membranes with low water permeability and reduced curling, suitable for ion exchange and gas permeable applications, at a lower cost and with improved durability.
Implementation Method 1
a curable composition is impregnated into pores of a poriferous support
Implementation Method 2
the impregnated support is irradiated, thereby curing the composition present therein
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A process for making a composite membrane comprising the steps: (i) providing a moving poriferous support (1) impregnated with a curable composition, wherein the composition is present in the pores of the support and on a surface of the support; (ii) scraping or squeezing the poriferous support and thereby removing at least some of the curable composition (2) from the surface of the support; and (iii) after performing step (ii), irradiating the support, thereby curing the composition present therein. Composite membranes are also claimed having a surface layer thickness of below 0,5 microns.