Castings for reverse osmosis membrane supports

Claim 2

The tube of claim 2 wherein the reverse osmosis membrane is selected from the group consisting of ether and ester cellulosic derivatives.

Claim 3

The tube of claim 3 containing axial holes therein, the tube also containing effective amounts of release agent, the membrane being a cast in place cellulose acetate membrane supported inside said axial holes, the filler is sand having an average particle size between about 50 and 250 microns, the resin constitutes about 2 to 10 percent of the resin-silane coated filler particle weight, and the tube is surrounded by a metal casing.

Claim 4

In combination, a rigid porous reVerse osmosis membrane support member having a smooth surface and a semipermeable reverse osmosis membrane supported by said porous member, the porous member comprising inorganic particles having an average particle size between about 40 and 500 microns and having a resinous film deposited thereon, said resinous film containing about 0.2 to 1.5 weight percent organo silane, based on the weight of the member, the resin in said resinous film constituting about 4 to 32 volume percent of the porous member and bonding adjacent inorganic particles to form said rigid porous member.

Claim 5

The porous member of claim 5 wherein the organo silane is selected from the group consisting of vinyl silanes, aminoalkylsilanes and epoxyalkylsilane esters.

Claim 6

The porous member of claim 6 wherein the reverse osmosis membrane is selected from the group consisting of ether and ester cellulosic derivatives, and the resin is selected from the group consisting of epoxy phenolic, polyester and melamine-formaldehyde resins.

Claim 7

The porous member of claim 7 wherein the organo silane is an epoxy alkylsilane ester selected from the group consisting of cyclic epoxy silanes and aliphatic epoxy silanes and the resin is a solid diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent weight between about 160-1,200 and a melting point between about 60*-115* C.

Claim 8

A reverse osmosis liquid treatment system comprising a supported semipermeable reverse osmosis membrane, said support comprising a rigid porous reverse osmosis membrane support member comprising bonded filler having an average particle size between about 40 and 500 microns coated with a film comprising resin and organo silane, said film containing about 1 to 18 weight percent resin and 0.2 to 1.5 weight percent organo silane based on resin-silane coated filler weight, means for introducing liquid into the system to contact the membrane under pressure and outlet means for the treated liquid.

Claim 9

The reverse osmosis liquid treatment system of claim 9, wherein the porous member is an open pore tube containing axial holes having a smooth surface, the membrane being supported inside said axial holes.

Claim 10

The reverse osmosis liquid treatment system of claim 10, wherein the porous member also contains effective amounts of release agent, the membrane is cast in place inside the axial holes, the filler has a granular structure and an average particle size between about 50 and 250 microns, and the tube is surrounded by a metal casing.

Claim 11

The reverse osmosis liquid treatment system of claim 11 wherein the membrane is cellulose acetate and the filler is sand.