Patent US3559101A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4921612A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4921612A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Asymmetrically-wettable porous membrane process
Assignee: Stevens Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1988-06-15
•
Granted: 1990-05-01
•
Expires: 2008-06-15
Abstract
Abstract An asymmetrically-wettable, porous membrane has a hydrophilic side and a hydrophobic side. The membrane has pores which pass through the membrane to provide communication between the hydrophilic side and the hydrophobic side. The membrane can be used in a process for transferring a solute from a liquid feed solution to a liquid extractant which is substantially immiscible with the feed solution. The process comprises contacting the hydrophilic side of the membrane with one solution and contacting the hydrophobic side of the membrane with the other solution. The interface between the feed solution and the extractant is substantially immobilized at the porous membrane. Solute is transferred from the feed solution to the extractant through the pores of the membrane.
Inventors
- 👤 Kamalesh K. Sirkar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 04:06
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D61/00; B01D61/24; B01D61/246; B01D61/2461; B01D69/00; B01D69/12; C; C12; C12M; C12M47/00; C12M47/10; B01D2323/00; B01D2323/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A process for transferring solute from a liquid feed solution to a liquid extractant, the feed solution and the extractant being substantially immiscible when in direct contact with each other, one of the feed solution and the extractant being substantially miscible with water to define a water-miscible liquid, the other of the feed solution and the extractant being substantially immiscible with water to define a water-immiscible liquid, the process comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a first side of an asymmetrically-wettable, porous membrane with the water-miscible liquid, the first side being hydrophilic, the membrane having a second side opposing the first side, the second side being hydrophobic, the membrane having pores which pass through the membrane providing liquid-phase communication between the first side and the second side; and (b) contacting the second side of the membrane with the water-immiscible liquid so that the feed solution and the extractant can come into liquid/liquid interfacial contact through the pores of the membrane, the interface between the feed solution and the extractant being substantially immobilized at the porous membrane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
A process for transferring solute from a liquid feed solution to a liquid extractant, the feed solution and the extractant being substantially immiscible when in direct contact with each other, one of the feed solution and the extractant being substantially miscible with water to define a water-miscible liquid, the other of the feed solution and the extractant being substantially immiscible with water to define a water-immiscible liquid, the process comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a first side of an asymmetrically-wettable, porous membrane with the water-miscible liquid, the first side being hydrophilic, the membrane having a second side opposing the first side, the second side being hydrophobic, the membrane having pores which pass through the membrane providing liquid-phase communication between the first side and the second side; and (b) contacting the second side of the membrane with the water-immiscible liquid so that the feed solution and the extractant can come into liquid/liquid interfacial contact through the pores of the membrane, the interface between the feed solution and the extractant being substantially immobilized at the porous membrane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the feed solution is an aqueous liquid and the extractant is substantially immiscible with water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the extractant is an aqueous liquid and the-feed solution is substantially immiscible with water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the step of contacting the first side of the porous membrane with the water-miscible liquid includes causing a stream of the water-miscible liquid to flow along the first side.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process according to claim 4 in which the step of contacting the second side of the porous membrane with the water-immiscible liquid includes causing a stream of the water-immiscible liquid to flow along the second side.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process according to claim 5 in which the stream of water-miscible liquid and the stream of water-immiscible liquid flow in generally opposing directions so that the transfer of solute from the stream of feed solution to the stream of extractant is a countercurrent process.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the water-miscible liquid is a polar organic solvent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the feed solution is an aqueous fermentation broth.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process according to claim 8 in which the asymmetrically-wettable, porous membrane includes a layer of a porous hydrophilic material, a side of the layer of the porous hydrophilic material defining the first side of the membrane, the porous hydrophilic material contacting the aqueous fermentation broth.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process according to claim 9 in which fermentation cells are immobilized in the layer of porous hydrophilic material of the membrane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process according to claim 9 in which enzymes are immobilized in the layer of porous hydrophilic material of the membrane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2365457A
Cited
US3244763A
Cited
US3422008A
Cited
US3396510A
Cited
US3447286A
Cited
US3556990A
Cited
US3799873A
Cited
US3676220A
Cited
US3719590A
Cited
US3911080A
Cited
US3770842A
Cited
US3800506A
Cited
US3980605A
Cited
US3956112A
Cited
US3823529A
Cited
US4106920A
Cited
US3951789A
Cited
US3925037A
Cited
US3917526A
Cited
US4062882A
Cited
US4014665A
Cited
US3957504A
Cited
US4000065A
Cited
US4392960A
Cited
US4015955A
Cited
US4198293A
Cited
US4115514A
Cited
US4147754A
Cited
US4005012A
Cited
US4353799A
Cited
US4117079A
Cited
US4239506A
Cited
US4187086A
Cited
US4174374A
Cited
US4119408A
Cited
US4214020A
Cited
US4303068A
Cited
US4220535A
Cited
US4235983A
Cited
US4326960A
Cited
US4554069A
Cited
US4296205A
Cited
US4306946A
Cited
US4329224A
Cited
US4366063A
Cited
US4420398A
Cited
US4418148A
Cited
US4406752A
Cited
US4445990A
Cited
US4443414A
Cited
US4455236A
Cited
US4516984A
Cited
US4789468A
Cited
US4816407A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-30 | 1993-10-30 | 1994-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-30 | 1997-10-30 | 1998-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-30 | 2001-10-30 | 2002-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |