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Ultrathin solid membrane, process for production thereof, and use thereof for concentrating a specified gas in a gaseous mixture

Assignee: Teijin Ltd
•
Filing: 1980-12-18
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Granted: 1983-09-27
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Expires: 2000-12-18
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Abstract

Abstract A process for producing ultrathin solid membranes from a solvent solution of an addition polymer derived from an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer or a conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer in a solvent composed mainly of a volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium capable of dissolving the addition polymer and another organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic compound in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35. The solvent satisfies the equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water. The solvent solution of the addition polymer is allowed to spread spontaneously on the surface of a liquid support consisting substantially of water whereby the solvent in the solvent solution is removed to an amount sufficient to form a solid membrane on the surface of the liquid support. The process may be performed batchwise or continuously. The solid membrane can be used for obtaining a gas having a specified component gas concentrated therein, for example, a gaseous mixture having enriched oxygen gas from a gaseous mixture of two or more gases for example air.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takeyoshi Yamada
  • 👤 Shizuka Kurisu
  • 👤 Shizuo Azuma
  • 👤 Kiyoshi Sugie
  • 👤 Teizo Yamaji

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 20:10
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/22; B01D69/00; B01D69/12; B01D69/122; B01D71/00; B01D71/06; B01D71/26; B01D71/261; B01D71/262; B29; B29D; B29D7/00; B29D7/01; B01D2313/00; B01D2313/22; B01D2313/221

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim 239 words
A process for producing an ultrathin solid membrane, which comprises dissolving an addition polymer derived from at least one monomer having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers and conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers in a solvent composed mainly of volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium capable of dissolving the addition polymer and being selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon and a halogenated hydrocarbon, said solvent containing 0.1 to 15% by weight of another organic compound selected from the group consisting of alicyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, peroxides, and mixtures thereof, said organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic compound in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35, and said solvent meeting the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water, and thereafter allowing the solvent solution of the addition polymer to spread spontaneously on the surface of a liquid support consisting substantially of water whereby the solvent in the solvent solution is removed to an amount sufficient to form a solid membrane on the surface of the liquid support.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 239 words
A process for producing an ultrathin solid membrane, which comprises dissolving an addition polymer derived from at least one monomer having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers and conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers in a solvent composed mainly of volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium capable of dissolving the addition polymer and being selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon and a halogenated hydrocarbon, said solvent containing 0.1 to 15% by weight of another organic compound selected from the group consisting of alicyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, peroxides, and mixtures thereof, said organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic compound in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35, and said solvent meeting the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water, and thereafter allowing the solvent solution of the addition polymer to spread spontaneously on the surface of a liquid support consisting substantially of water whereby the solvent in the solvent solution is removed to an amount sufficient to form a solid membrane on the surface of the liquid support.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 31 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent meets the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧35 wherein a 1 , b 1 , and c 1 are as defined in claim 1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the other organic compound has a distribution coefficient k of 1.0 to 25.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon is an alicyclic or aromatic compound.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the organic liquid medium is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexene, cyclohexane, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, tetrachloroethane, trichloropropane and the mixtures thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the other organic compound is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexenol, cyclohexanol, phenol, cyclohexenone, cyclohexylamine, aniline, furfural, benzoic acid, cyclohexenyl hydroxyperoxide, and the mixtures thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer or the conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer is an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic compound having 2 to 20 carbon atoms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer is ethylene, propylene, butene, isobutene, pentene, methylpentene, hexene, methylhexene, heptene, cyclohexylpentene, styrene, α-methylstyrene or a mixture of these.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer is butadiene, isoprene, cyclooctadiene or a mixture of these.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the addition polymer is polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyisobutene, polypentene, polymethylpentene, polyhexene, polymethylhexene, polyheptene, polycyclohexylpentene, polystyrene, poly(α-methylstyrene), poly(1,4-butadiene), poly(1,2-butadiene), polyisoprene or polycyclooctadiene.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 26 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent solution contains about 0.5 to about 15% by weight of the addition polymer based on the solvent solution.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 286 words
A process for continuously producing an ultrathin solid membrane, which comprises dissolving an addition polymer derived from at least one monomer having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers and conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers in a solvent composed mainly of a volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium which is a hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon and which is capable of dissolving the addition polymer, said solvent containing from 0.1 to 15% by weight of another organic compound selected from the group consisting of alicyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, peroxides, and mixtures thereof, said organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic solvent in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35, and said solvent meeting the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water, thereafter continuously feeding the resulting solvent solution to the surface of a liquid support consisting substantially of water from a feed means for the solvent solution in such a manner that the solvent solution does not come apart from the surface of the liquid support, thereby allowing the solvent solution to spread spontaneously on the liquid surface and continuously removing the solvent of the solvent solution to an amount sufficient to form a solid membrane, and thereafter withdrawing the resulting ultrathin solid membrane upwardly from the liquid surface while it is carried on a porous sheet-like material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 286 words
A process for continuously producing an ultrathin solid membrane, which comprises dissolving an addition polymer derived from at least one monomer having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers and conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers in a solvent composed mainly of a volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium which is a hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon and which is capable of dissolving the addition polymer, said solvent containing from 0.1 to 15% by weight of another organic compound selected from the group consisting of alicyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, peroxides, and mixtures thereof, said organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic solvent in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35, and said solvent meeting the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water, thereafter continuously feeding the resulting solvent solution to the surface of a liquid support consisting substantially of water from a feed means for the solvent solution in such a manner that the solvent solution does not come apart from the surface of the liquid support, thereby allowing the solvent solution to spread spontaneously on the liquid surface and continuously removing the solvent of the solvent solution to an amount sufficient to form a solid membrane, and thereafter withdrawing the resulting ultrathin solid membrane upwardly from the liquid surface while it is carried on a porous sheet-like material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 31 words
The process of claim 12 wherein said feed means for the solvent solution is in contact with the liquid surface, or is up to about 3 mm above the liquid surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 37 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the feed means for the solvent solution is a feed opening which is apart from the liquid surface to an extent of up to about 2 mm below the liquid surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 37 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the feed means for the solvent solution is an opening having an area of about 0.01 mm 2 to about 3 mm 2 provided at the end of a hollow tube.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 26 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the solvent solution is continuously fed from the feed means at a rate of about 0.1 to about 20 cc/min.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 11 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the liquid support is flowing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 19 words
The process of claim 17 wherein the solvent solution spreads spontaneously on the surface of the moving liquid support.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 88 words
The process of claim 17 wherein before the solid membrane formed on the liquid surface is carried on the porous sheet-like material, the solid membrane is forcibly taken up at a substantially constant rate on the surface of the liquid support in the flowing direction of the liquid support to form a substantially stable flow of the solid membrane, and then the solid membrane is carried on the porous sheet-like material which is moving at a rate substantially corresponding with the rate of flowing of the solid membrane.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the addition polymer is polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyisobutene, polypentene, polymethylpentene, polyhexene, polymethylhexene, polyheptene, polycyclohexylpentene, polystyrene, poly(α-methylstyrene), poly(1,4-butadiene), poly(1,2-butadiene), polyisoprene or polycyclooctadiene.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 39 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the solvent solution contains about 0.5 to about 15% by weight of the addition polymer based on the solvent solution and about 0.1 to about 15% by weight of the other organic compound.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 209 words
A solvent solution of an addition polymer suitable for forming an ultrathin solid membrane having a thickness of about 50 to about 3000 A, said solvent solution being prepared by dissolving an addition polymer derived from at least one monomer having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers and conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers in a solvent composed mainly of a volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium which is a hydrocarbon or a halogenated hydrocarbon and which is capable of dissolving the addition polymer, said solvent containing from 0.1 to 15% by weight of another organic compound selected from the group consisting of alicyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, peroxides, and mixtures thereof, said organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic solvent in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35, and said solvent meeting the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 209 words
A solvent solution of an addition polymer suitable for forming an ultrathin solid membrane having a thickness of about 50 to about 3000 A, said solvent solution being prepared by dissolving an addition polymer derived from at least one monomer having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers and conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers in a solvent composed mainly of a volatile, substantially water-immiscible organic liquid medium which is a hydrocarbon or a halogenated hydrocarbon and which is capable of dissolving the addition polymer, said solvent containing from 0.1 to 15% by weight of another organic compound selected from the group consisting of alicyclic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, peroxides, and mixtures thereof, said organic compound having a distribution coefficient k, which is the ratio of the concentration of the other organic solvent in the organic liquid medium to that in water, of from 0.5 to 35, and said solvent meeting the following equation c.sub.1 -(a.sub.1 +b.sub.1)≧25 wherein c 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of water, a 1 is the surface tension (dynes/cm) of the solution of the addition polymer in the solvent, and b 1 is the interfacial tension (dynes/cm) between the solvent solution and water.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 22 words
An ultrathin solid membrane having a thickness of about 50 to about 3000 A prepared from the solvent solution of claim 22.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 28 words
The solvent solution of claim 22 wherein the addition polymer is polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyisobutene, polypentene, polymethylpentene, polyhexene, polymethylhexene, polyheptene, polycyclohexylpentene, polystyrene, poly(α-methylstyrene), poly(1,4-butadiene), poly(1,2-butadiene), polyisoprene or polycyclooctadiene.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 37 words
The solvent solution of claim 22 which contains about 0.5 to about 15% by weight of the addition polymer based on the solvent solution and about 0.1 to about 15% by weight of the other organic compound.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 55 words
The solvent solution of claim 25 wherein the organic liquid medium is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexene, cyclohexane, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, tetrachloroethane, trichloropropane and the mixtures thereof and the other organic compound is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexenol, cyclohexanol, phenol, cyclohexenone, cyclohexylamine, aniline, furfural, benzoic acid, cyclohexenyl hydroxyperoxide and the mixtures thereof.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 15 words
A solid membrane produced by the process of any one of claims 1 to 18.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 44 words
A process for obtaining a gas having a specified component gas concentrated therein from a gaseous mixture which comprises contacting the gaseous mixture with any one of the solid membranes of claim 27 to selectively separate the specified component gas from said gaseous mixture.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 28 which is used for obtaining a gaseous mixture having enriched oxygen gas from a gaseous mixture comprising at least oxygen and nitrogen.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3551244A Cited
US3615024A Cited
US3950247A Cited
US4197148A Cited
US4132824A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-09-26 1987-03-28 1987-09-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-09-26 1991-03-28 1991-09-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-09-26 1995-03-28 1995-09-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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