Macrocycle-Modified TFC Membranes for Uniform Pore Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thin-film composite (TFC) membranes face challenges in achieving uniform pore sizes and distributions, leading to low selectivity and permeability, which limits their performance in applications such as gas and hydrocarbon separations, water desalination, and pharmaceutical separations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating macrocycles like pillar[n]arenes and hybrid[n]arenes into the TFC membranes to create uniform and tunable microporosity, enhancing solvent permeability and molecular selectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional TFC membranes are used, then membrane structure is formed, but uniform pore sizes and distribution cannot be achieved, resulting in low selectivity and permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porogen (an intermediary substance) during membrane formation that creates a controlled porous structure. The porogen acts as a template that defines uniform pore sizes and distribution, solving the problem of unknown free voids structures and enabling precise control over membrane porosity characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies parameters including porogen concentration, porogen molecular weight, and polymerization conditions to achieve desired pore size uniformity. By changing these parameters, the invention optimizes both selectivity and permeability that were previously compromised by non-uniform pore structures
2Ease of manufacture
If non-uniform pore distribution is present, then membrane formation is simplified, but selectivity and permeability tradeoff occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The porogen serves as a mediator that simplifies the manufacturing process while simultaneously creating uniform pore structures. Instead of complex post-processing to achieve uniformity, the porogen inherently defines the pore structure during formation, making the process easier while improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention deliberately creates a controlled porous structure using porogen templates, resulting in membranes with uniform pore sizes and distributions. This approach transforms the membrane from a dense or non-uniform structure into a precisely engineered porous material that achieves high solvent permeability without sacrificing selectivity
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 macrocycle-incorporated TFC membranes exhibit improved solvent permeance and selectivity, outperforming leading membrane technologies with over twice the permeance while maintaining comparable selectivity, enabling effective separation of specific species from mixtures.
Implementation Method 1
the macrocycles in the TFC membrane comprise a pore having a diameter of 1 to 10 Å
Implementation Method 2
Membranes act as selective barriers which allow certain chemical species to pass while retaining others
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a thin-film composite (TFC) membrane composition comprising macrocycles. The invention also relates in part to a method of fabricating a TFC membrane and to a method of using the TFC membrane to separate a desired liquid or gas from a liquid or gas mixture.