EP0160473A2
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EP
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Crosslinkable chemical formulation and composite semipermeable membrane made therewith
Assignee: W.L. Gore and Associates Inc
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Filing: 1985-04-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-04-19
Abstract
Abstract A composite semipermeable membrane comprises: (a) a flexible film of microporous polytetrafluoroethylene or other hydrophobic material having a water vapour transmission rate in excess of 10,000 g/m 2 · 24 hours, preferably above 100,000 g/m 2 · 24 hours, and an advancing water contact angle exceeding 90 degrees, and (b) a continuous, crosslinked amorphous hydrophilic layer preferably of polyoxyethylene polythioether penetrated to an extent into the face of the hydrophobic layer. The hydrophilic layer provides a composite membrane having a water vapour transmission rate of the complete ensemble comparable to or even exceeding that of the hydrophobic material alone, and simultaneously offering two mechanisms of separation; that imposed by the microporous hydrophobic material and that imposed by the hydrophilic layer, and as such is capable of numerous separation operations. The crosslinkable and crosslinked hydrophilic polyoxyethylene polythioether materials are new chemical formulations.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Lyon Henn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:30
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B5/00; B32B5/18; B01; B01D; B01D69/00; B01D69/12; B01D69/125; B32B27/00; B32B27/06; B32B27/065; B32B27/28; B32B5/22; B32B5/24; B32B5/245; B32B7/00; B32B7/02; C; C08; C08G; C08G75/00; C08G75/02; C08G75/0204; C08G75/0245; C08G75/04; C08G75/045; C08G75/12; B32B2266/00; B32B2266/02; B32B2266/0214; B32B2266/025; B32B2305/00; B32B2305/72; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/70; B32B2307/724; B32B2307/7242; B32B2307/728; B32B2307/73
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation comprising (a) a terminally unsaturated polyene component of the formula: wherein m = 0 or 1 and x ≥ 2; (b) a polythiol component of the formula: wherein n = 0 or 1, R' = H or OH and y 2 2; and (c) a free-radical initiator; wherein x and y are not both = 2 and at least one R is polyoxyethylene and the other R may be polyoxyethylene or a polyvalent moiety free from hydrolytically sensitive functional groups and other carbon-to-carbon unsaturation or thiol functional groups.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation comprising (a) a terminally unsaturated polyene component of the formula: wherein m = 0 or 1 and x ≥ 2; (b) a polythiol component of the formula: wherein n = 0 or 1, R' = H or OH and y 2 2; and (c) a free-radical initiator; wherein x and y are not both = 2 and at least one R is polyoxyethylene and the other R may be polyoxyethylene or a polyvalent moiety free from hydrolytically sensitive functional groups and other carbon-to-carbon unsaturation or thiol functional groups.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 1 which contains at least 40 percent by weight polyoxyethylene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 2 which contains at least 60 percent by weight polyoxyethylene.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 3 which contains at least 80 percent by weight polyoxyethylene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 1 in which both R's are polyoxyethylene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 1 in which one R is polyoxyethylene and the other R is an isocyanurate, polyoxypropylene, poly(tetramethylene oxide), pentaerythritol, silicate, diethyl ether or glycerol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 5 in which the polyene component is a terminally unsaturated polyether of the formula: and the polythiol component is a polyether of the formula: in which formulae R = polyoxyethylene and m, x and y are as defined in claim 1.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the polyoxyethylene has a molecular weight in the range from 600 to 1,500.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is photocurable and contains one or more photoinitiators selected from the class consisting of benzophenone, acetophenone(s), dibenzosuberone, 1-hydroxycyclohexylphenyl ketone and benzoin isopropyl ether.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A photocurable chemical formulation as claimed in claim 9 in which the photoinitiator is a combination of benzophenone and 1-hydroxycyclohexylphenyl ketone.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for forming a flexible, layered composite semipermeable membrane comprising the steps of: (a) forming a flexible layer of a microporous hydrophobic material having a water vapour transmission rate exceeding 10,000 g/m 2 . 24 hours and an advancing polar liquid contact angle exceeding 90 degrees, (b) casting a crosslinkable formulation as claimed in any preceding claim to form a continuous layer directly onto the microporous hydrophobic layer, the rheology of the crosslinkable formulation being such that, with sufficient hydraulic pressure applied, controllable penetration of the formulation into the microporous hydrophobic layer is achieved, (c) applying said hydraulic pressure (d) followed by curing of the crosslinkable formulation to form a continuous solid polymeric hydrophilic layer impregnated to an extent into the pores of said microporous hydrophobic layer, said composite membrane having a water vapour transmission rate exceeding 80 percent that of said hydrophobic layer alone.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the hydrophobic microporous material is polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride), polyurethane, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene or polyamide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 12 in which the hydrophobic microporous material is expanded, microporous polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
A flexible, layered composite semipermeable membrane comprising: (a) a flexible film of a microporous hydrophobic material having a water vapour transmission rate in excess of 10,000 g/m 2 · 24 hours, and an advancing water contact angle exceeding 90 degrees, and (b) a continuous, hydrophilic layer penetrated to an extent into the face of the hydrophobic layer and attached thereto, said composite membrane having a transmission rate of water vapour exceeding 80 percent that of the hydrophobic material alone.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
79 words
A flexible, layered composite semipermeable membrane comprising: (a) a flexible film of a microporous hydrophobic material having a water vapour transmission rate in excess of 10,000 g/m 2 · 24 hours, and an advancing water contact angle exceeding 90 degrees, and (b) a continuous, hydrophilic layer penetrated to an extent into the face of the hydrophobic layer and attached thereto, said composite membrane having a transmission rate of water vapour exceeding 80 percent that of the hydrophobic material alone.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in claim 14 having a water vapour transmission rate exceeding that of said hydrophobic material alone.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in claim 15 having a water vapour transmission rate exceeding 130 percent that of said hydrophobic material alone.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, in which the microporous hydrophobic material is polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride), polyurethane, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene or polyamide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in claim 17 in which the hydrophobic material is expanded, microporous polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
52 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 18 in which the hydrophilic layer is an essentially odorless solid polyether polythioether comprising a free-radical chain-extended reaction product of a crosslinkable chemical formulation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and a suitable energy source.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19 in which the hydrophilic layer is impermeable to air.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
A composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20 having at least one additional textile layer affixed to at least one surface thereof and in laminate attachment thereto.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
38 words
A method of separating molecules of low molecular weight capable of offering a hydrogen for hydrogen bonding in which such molecules are transported through a composite semipermeable membrane as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 21.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
101 words
A synthetic polymer comprising an essentially odorless solid polyether polythioether comprised of the free-radical chain-extended reaction product of: (a) a terminally unsaturated polyene comprising the formula: wherein m = 0 or 1 and x ≥ 2; (b) a polythiol component of the formula: wherein n = 0 or 1, R' = H or OH and y Z 2; (c) a free-radical initiator; and (d) a suitable energy source, wherein at least one R is polyoxyethylene and the other R may be polyoxyethylene or a polyvalent organic moiety free from hydrolytically sensitive functional groups and other carbon-to-carbon unsaturation or thiol functional groups.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
101 words
A synthetic polymer comprising an essentially odorless solid polyether polythioether comprised of the free-radical chain-extended reaction product of: (a) a terminally unsaturated polyene comprising the formula: wherein m = 0 or 1 and x ≥ 2; (b) a polythiol component of the formula: wherein n = 0 or 1, R' = H or OH and y Z 2; (c) a free-radical initiator; and (d) a suitable energy source, wherein at least one R is polyoxyethylene and the other R may be polyoxyethylene or a polyvalent organic moiety free from hydrolytically sensitive functional groups and other carbon-to-carbon unsaturation or thiol functional groups.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
A synthetic polymer as claimed in claim 23 in which both R's are polyoxyethylene.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
47 words
A synthetic polymer according to claim 24 in which the polyene component is a terminally unsaturated polyether of the formula: and the polythiol component is a polyether of the formula: in which formula R is polyoxyethylene and m, x and y are as defined in claim 23.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
A polymer as claimed in claim 23 in which said polyoxyethylene has a molecular weight in the range from 600 to 1,500.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
27 words
A polymer according to claim 23 wherein one R is polyoxyethylene and the other R is an isocyanurate, polyoxypropylene, poly(tetramethylene oxide), pentaerythritol, silicate, diethyl ether or glycerol.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
A polymer according to claim 23 which is photocurable and contains one or more photoinitiators selected from the class consisting of benzophenone, acetophenone(s), dibenzosuberone, 1-hydroxycyclohexylphenyl ketone and benzoin isopropyl ether.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
A polymer as claimed in claim 28 wherein the photoinitiator is a combination of benzophenone and 1-hydroxycyclohexylphenyl ketone.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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