Porous Membrane Composite for Accurate Integrity Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Porous membranes made from polysulfone are hydrophobic, leading to inaccurate integrity tests due to false gas leakage, while those made from polyethersulfone have high water permeability but low mechanical resistance, making it difficult to confirm defects accurately.
Innovation Solution
A porous membrane composed of polysulfone and polyethersulfone at a specific mass ratio, combined with hydroxyalkyl cellulose, which enhances hydrophilicity and mechanical resistance, allowing for accurate integrity testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a porous membrane is made from polysulfone to achieve high mechanical resistance and water resistance, then mechanical strength is improved, but hydrophobicity increases causing inaccurate integrity tests due to false gas leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of polysulfone as the base polymer providing mechanical strength, and polyethersulfone added at 1-10 mass% to modify surface properties. This composite approach allows the membrane to maintain high mechanical resistance from polysulfone while the polyethersulfone component reduces hydrophobicity to enable accurate integrity testing without false gas leakage.
2Productivity
If a porous membrane is made from polyethersulfone to achieve high water permeability and hydrophilicity, then water permeability is improved, but mechanical resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite where polyethersulfone (1-10 mass%) provides hydrophilicity and water permeability enhancement, while the majority polysulfone matrix (90-99 mass%) maintains high mechanical resistance. This composite structure allows the system to achieve both high water permeability and adequate mechanical strength that neither polymer could achieve alone.
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 both high hardness and hydrophilicity, enabling reliable integrity testing and maintaining filtration efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
since a porous membrane formed of polyethersulfone has a material of hydrophilicity, the porous membrane formed of polyethersulfone has higher water permeability
Data Source
AI summary
A porous membrane includes a polymer which includes one or more structural units selected from the group consisting of a structural unit represented by Formula (I) and a structural unit represented by Formula (II), in which a content of the structural unit represented by Formula (II) is 1% by mass or more and less than 10% by mass with respect to a total mass of the structural unit represented by Formula (I) and the structural unit represented by Formula (II)