Liquid Separation Membrane Using Porous Base Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clay membranes have limitations in liquid separation due to large membrane thickness, which results in unsatisfactory permeability and difficulty in improving separation performance, particularly in separating liquids like salt water or mixed solutions.
Innovation Solution
A liquid separation membrane installation body featuring a porous base material with a dispersible layered inorganic compound membrane, such as clay, silica, titania, or niobium oxide nano sheets, with a controlled thickness of 0.1 to 1.5 µm and average pore diameter of 0.1 to 10 nm, preventing compound entry into the base material and enhancing permeation flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a self-standing clay membrane is used for liquid separation, then the membrane structure is stable and self-supporting, but the membrane thickness becomes large resulting in unsatisfactory liquid permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous base material with controlled pore structure to support the clay membrane. The porous structure allows liquid to flow through while providing mechanical support, resolving the contradiction between membrane stability and permeability by creating a hierarchical porous architecture that maintains structural integrity while facilitating liquid transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite membrane structure combining clay particles with a porous base material. This composite approach allows the clay to provide separation functionality while the porous base material provides structural support and additional transport pathways, achieving both stability and high permeability simultaneously.
2Strength
If a clay membrane with large thickness is used, then the membrane has sufficient mechanical strength, but the permeation flow rate of liquid cannot be sufficiently increased
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is segmented into multiple functional layers: a porous base material layer providing mechanical strength and a clay layer providing separation functionality. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently - the base material for strength and the clay layer for separation - while working together to achieve both high strength and high permeability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the membrane structure have different properties optimized for their specific functions. The porous base material has high porosity for liquid flow and mechanical support, while the clay layer has controlled pore size for separation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by assigning different structural characteristics to different functional zones.
3Reliability
If a clay membrane is used for liquid separation, then separation functionality is provided, but the clay disperses again in the liquid making it unusable for liquid separation
Solution Approach 1:
The porous base material acts as an intermediary between the clay particles and the liquid feed. It provides a stable framework that holds the clay particles in place, preventing their dispersion into the liquid while still allowing the liquid to pass through and interact with the clay for separation. The base material mediates the interaction between clay and liquid to maintain system stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical self-standing structure with a chemically/bonded attachment system where the clay layer is firmly attached to the porous base material. This substitution ensures the clay remains fixed in position during liquid separation operations, preventing dispersion while maintaining separation functionality.
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 solution significantly increases the permeation flow rate and separation performance, as demonstrated by higher ion removal ratios and reduced vacuum reaching pressures, making it suitable for separating water from mixed liquids like salt water or water-alcohol mixtures.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid separation membrane is a porous membrane formed of a dispersible layered inorganic compound... the liquid separation membrane has a membrane thickness of 0.1 to 1.5 μm... average pore diameter of 0.1 to 10 nm
Implementation Method 2
capable of increasing a permeation flow rate of a liquid
Implementation Method 3
a liquid separation membrane provided on the surface of the porous base material by filtration membrane formation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3A
Figure 3B
AI summary
A liquid separation membrane installation body includes a porous base material, and a liquid separation membrane provided on the porous base material, the liquid separation membrane is a porous membrane formed of a dispersant layered inorganic compound, and a membrane thickness of the liquid separation membrane is 0.1 to 1.5 µm. The liquid separation membrane is preferably formed of a sheet-like dispersant layered inorganic compound which has a thickness of 0.1 to 100 nm, a major diameter of 0.01 to 5 µm and an aspect ratio (the major diameter/the thickness) of 3 or more and which is formed into the membrane on the porous base material. There is disclosed the liquid separation membrane installation body capable of increasing a permeation flow rate of a liquid.