Low Temperature Membrane Filtration for Epoxy Resin Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial epoxy resin manufacturing relies on high temperature batch/semi-batch technologies, leading to unwanted side reactions, high energy consumption, product aging, and safety concerns due to thermal instability, which limits the selectivity and efficiency of monomer content in glycidyl amine based resins.
Innovation Solution
A low temperature, continuous or semi-continuous membrane separation process using single or cascaded membrane filtration units, combined with physical distillation, to purify glycidyl amine based epoxy resins, operating at moderate pressures and temperatures, effectively separating unwanted side products and solvents while minimizing material aging and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high temperature molecular distillation is used to purify epoxy resins, then monomer content and product selectivity are improved, but energy consumption increases and thermal runaway risks arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high (140-220°C) to low (below 100°C) and replaces thermal distillation with membrane filtration, achieving high monomer content (88-95%) without the energy penalty of high-temperature processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal field (molecular distillation) with a membrane separation field, using selective permeability rather than thermal energy to achieve purification, thereby eliminating the need for high energy input
2Manufacturing precision
If high temperature molecular distillation is used to purify epoxy resins, then monomer content and product selectivity are improved, but safety risks increase due to thermal instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high (140-220°C) to low (below 100°C), eliminating thermal runaway risks while achieving high monomer content (88-95%) through membrane filtration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the thermal instability of epoxy resins from a hazard into an advantage by using low-temperature membrane filtration, which exploits the size difference between monomers and side products to achieve purification without thermal degradation
3Manufacturing precision
If high temperature molecular distillation is used to purify epoxy resins, then monomer content is improved, but product aging and yield losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high to low, preventing thermal degradation and product aging while achieving high monomer content (88-95%) through membrane filtration, thereby maximizing yield
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces thermal processing with membrane separation, eliminating the mechanism that causes product aging and yield losses while maintaining high purification effectiveness
4Reliability
If continuous or semi-continuous membrane separation is used for purification, then material aging is minimized and safety is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the purification process into modular membrane filtration units that can operate continuously or semi-continuously, simplifying process control while maintaining safety and minimizing material aging
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane filtration system performs multiple functions (purification, concentration, and separation) in a single unit, reducing overall processing complexity despite the advanced technology employed
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
This process achieves high monomer concentration (88-95%) with reduced energy consumption and thermal stress, lowering production costs and increasing product performance and safety by minimizing thermal runaway risks, while allowing for the production of thermally stable epoxy resin compounds suitable for aerospace applications.
Implementation Method 1
The membrane does separate/purify/split the crude epoxy resin feed-stream into a purified resin stream—named permeate and a back-cycled stream—named retentate
Implementation Method 2
combine at the end of the process with current physical distillation units such as flashers or wiped/thin film evaporator devices (TFE) to remove the solvents of choice from the purified resin
Data Source
AI summary
The invention describes a low temperature process for high performance epoxy resins purification via membrane separation technology. Continuous or semi-continuous low temperature processing grants a minimized material aging during product purification as for example glycidyl amine based resins.