Spacer for electrically driven membrane process apparatus

• US 20040104166A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Florian Tessier, Fouad Yacoub, Guanghui Li, Ian Glenn Towe, John H. Barber
• Original Assignee: David Florian Tessier, Fouad Yacoub, Guanghui Li, Ian Glenn Towe, John H. Barber
• Inventors: Tessier, David Florian, Li, Guanghui, Yacoub, Fouad, Barber, John H., Towe, Ian Glenn
• Application Number:
  US10/331,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104166A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/499
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/14 Specific spacers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/48 having one or more compartments filled with ion-exchange material , e.g. electrodeionisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/50 Stacks of the plate-and-frame type
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/085 specially adapted for two fluids in mass exchange flow

Abstract

A spacer mesh is provided and is configured to separate a first ion conducting membrane from a second ion conducting membrane to define a space between the membranes, comprising a plurality of strands consisting essentially of a polymer having a heat distortion temperature of at least 90° C. at 66 psi, and a melt flow index within the range of 3 g/10 min to 6 g/10 min, and being chemically stable at pH>13 or pH<2. The spacer mesh includes a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements, and a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements, wherein the first plurality of strand elements and the second plurality of strand elements are connected to define a netting having a plurality of apertures, each of the apertures having a plurality of vertices defined by a pair of intersecting strands, and a distance between non-adjacent vertices in an aperture is less than 10/1000 of an inch.

Claims

1. A spacer mesh configured to separate a first ion conducting membrane from a second ion conducting membrane to define a space between the membranes, comprising a plurality of strands consisting essentially of a polymer having a heat distortion temperature of at least 90°

C. at 66 psi, and a melt flow index within the range of 3 g/10 min to 6 g/10 min, and being chemically stable at pH>

13 or pH<

2.

2. The spacer mesh as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer is a multicomponent co-polymer having at least two co-monomers, wherein at least one of the co-monomers is halogenated.

3. The spacer mesh as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the co-monomers is ethylene.

4. The spacer mesh as claimed in any of claims 1, 2, or 3, wherein the polymer has a crystallinity of at least 50%.

5. The spacer mesh as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of strands is configured to define a netting.

6. The spacer mesh as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of strands includes:

a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements; and

a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements;

wherein the first plurality of strand elements and the second plurality of strand elements are connected to provide a netting.

7. The spacer mesh as claimed in claims 5 or 6, wherein the netting is non-woven.

8. The spacer mesh as claimed in claims 5 or 6, wherein the netting is woven.

9. The spacer mesh as claimed in claims 6, 7, or 8, wherein the netting is a diagonal netting.

10. The spacer mesh as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat distortion temperature is at least 92°

C.

11. The spacer mesh claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer is a co-polymer ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene.

12. A spacer configured to separate a first ion conducting membrane from a second ion conducting membrane to define a space between the membranes, comprising:

a spacer mesh including a plurality of strands consisting essentially of a polymer having a heat distortion temperature of at least 90°

C. at 66 psi, and a melt flow index within the range of 3 g/10 min to 6 g/10 min, and being chemically stable at pH>

13 or pH<

2; and

a perimeter surrounding the spacer mesh, said perimeter comprising a thermoplastic elastomer.

13. The spacer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the perimeter merges with the spacer mesh.

14. The spacer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the polymer is a multicomponent co-polymer having at least two co-monomers, wherein at least one of the co-monomers is halogenated.

15. The spacer as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one of the co-monomers is ethylene.

16. The spacer as claimed in any of claims 13, 14, or 15, wherein the polymer has a crystallinity of at least 50%.

17. The spacer as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of strands is configured to define a netting.

18. The spacer as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of strands includes:

a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements; and

a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements;

wherein the first plurality of strand elements and the second plurality of strand elements are connected to provide a netting.

19. The spacer as claimed in claims 17 or 18, wherein the netting is non-woven.

20. The spacer as claimed in claims 17 or 18, wherein the netting is woven.

21. The spacer as claimed in claims 18, 19, or 20, wherein the netting is a diagonal netting.

22. The spacer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the heat distortion temperature is at least 92°

C.

23. The spacer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the polymer is a co-polymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene.

24. A spacer mesh configured to separate a first ion conducting membrane from a second ion conducting membrane to define a space between the membranes, comprising a plurality of strands consisting essentially of a polymer having a heat distortion temperature of at least 90°

C. at 66 psi, and a melt flow index within the range of 3 g/10 min to 6 g/10 min, and being chemically stable when in contact with the first or second ion conducting membranes.

25. A spacer mesh configured to separate a first ion conducting membrane from a second ion conducting membrane to define a space between the membranes, comprising a plurality of strands consisting essentially of a halogenated polymer having a melt flow index within the range of 3 g/10 min to 6 g/10 min.

26. A spacer mesh configured to separate a first ion conducting membrane from a second ion conducting membrane to define a space between the membranes, comprising:

a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements; and

a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel strand elements;

wherein the first plurality of strand elements and the second plurality of strand elements are connected to define a netting having a plurality of apertures, each of the apertures having a plurality of vertices defined by a pair of intersecting strands, and a distance between non-adjacent vertices in an aperture is less than {fraction (10/1000)} of an inch.