Macroporous Substrate Membrane for High Vapor Permeance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing separation membranes face challenges in achieving high moisture permeance and permselectivity while minimizing the transport of undesired components, often due to the use of microporous substrates that increase costs and reduce membrane performance.
Innovation Solution
A composite membrane structure featuring a porous substrate with surface pores larger than 2 microns and a thin selective-transport layer comprising 2-D material flakes, eliminating the need for a microporous support layer to enhance moisture permeance and reduce production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a microporous support layer is used in composite membranes, then mechanical strength is improved, but moisture permeance is reduced and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the microporous support layer from the composite membrane structure, retaining only the porous substrate with macropores (>2 microns). This extraction eliminates the permeability bottleneck caused by microporous layers while maintaining mechanical integrity through the robust porous substrate design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a porous substrate with macropores larger than 2 microns instead of microporous materials. This macroporous structure dramatically reduces transport resistance for moisture vapor while still providing adequate mechanical support and enabling the formation of a continuous selective-transport layer.
2Strength
If a microporous support layer is used in composite membranes, then structural support is improved, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the microporous support layer, reducing the number of manufacturing steps and material costs. The simpler structure requires fewer lamination processes and less expensive materials while maintaining adequate structural support through the optimized porous substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a porous substrate with macropores and a selective-transport layer of 2-D material flakes. This composite design provides structural support and separation functionality without requiring a separate microporous support layer, thereby reducing production complexity and cost.
3Productivity
If the active separation layer thickness is reduced to increase permeance, then membrane flux is improved, but defects in the underlying microporous layer compromise performance
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the microporous support layer entirely, the patent eliminates the source of defects that would compromise the thin active separation layer. The macroporous substrate provides a defect-free foundation that allows the selective-transport layer to achieve high flux without performance degradation from underlying pore defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pore size parameter of the underlying layer from microporous (<1 micron) to macroporous (>2 microns). This parameter change eliminates capillary condensation effects and reduces transport resistance, allowing the thin selective-transport layer to function at high flux without being compromised by defects in the support structure.
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 membrane achieves high vapor permeance and low leak rates, reducing membrane costs and improving performance in applications such as gas separation and humidity management by directly depositing a thin 2-D material film on a macroporous substrate without a microporous support layer.
Implementation Method 1
Non-porous membranes generally achieve separation via a solution-diffusion process, wherein the component first dissolves in the membrane matrix, followed by diffusion through the continuous matrix phase
Implementation Method 2
The movement of components through porous membrane structures may be affected by the relative dimensions of the components and those of the pores, and/or by an affinity that the components have for adsorbing to the surfaces of the pore walls
Implementation Method 3
directly depositing a thin 2-D material film on a macroporous substrate
Implementation Method 4
deposition of a thin selective-transport layer comprising 2-D material flakes
Data Source
AI summary
A membrane for fluid species transport includes a porous substrate and a selective-transport layer comprising 2-D-material flakes. The porous substrate defines surface pores with dimensions larger than 2 microns, and the selective-transport layer coats the porous substrate and spans across the surface pores. The porous substrate can be contacted with a liquid or coating to fill or coat the surface pores of the porous substrate. Next, a 2-D-material-flake solution is deposited on the porous substrate. Evaporation of solvent from the deposited 2-D-material-flake solution forms the selective-transport layer.