Sulphonated polyaryl-ether-sulphones and membranes thereof

• US 4,054,707 A
• Filed: 12/23/1975
• Issued: 10/18/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rhone-Poulenc Industries
• Original Assignee: Rhone-Poulenc Industries
• Inventors: Quentin, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Lester L.
• Application Number:
  US05/643,910
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 260/49, 428/213
• US Class Current: 428/213
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/12 Composite membranes; Ultra-thin membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/68 Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2650/20 Cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2650/64 Monomer containing functional groups not involved in polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/48 Polymers modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 75/23 Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2312/00 Crosslinking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24992 Density or compression of components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31533 Of polythioether

Abstract

Novel sulphonated polyaryl-ether-sulphone resins are described which are particularly suitable for producing semi-permeable membranes, in particular for reverse osmosis. These resins consist essentially of a plurality of units of the formula: ##STR1## and, optionally, a plurality of units of the formula: ##STR2## in which A₁, A₂, A₃, A₄ and A₅ each represents a phenylene radical at least one of which is substituted by an optionally salified sulpho (--SO₃ H) radical, the relative proportions of units of formula (I) and (II) and the degree of substitution by sulpho radicals being such that the number of sulpho groups is from about 0.1 to about 5 milliequivalents per gram of dry resin.

Claims

1. A sulphonated polyaryl-ether-sulphone resin which consists essentially of a plurality of units of the formula:

##STR6## and, optionally, a plurality of units of the formula;

##STR7## in which A₁, A₂, A₃, A₄ and A₅ each represents a phenylene radical at least one of which is substituted by a sulpho (--SO₃ H) or salified sulpho radical, the relative proportions of units of formula (I) and (II) and the degree of substitution by sulpho radicals being such that the number of sulpho groups is from about 0.1 to about 5 milliequivalents per gram of dry resin.

2. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 1 which contains from about 0.6 to about 2 milliequivalents of sulpho radicals per gram of dry resin.

3. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 1 which is in the form of the free acid.

4. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 1 which is in the form of an ammonium or alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt.

5. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 1 having a total number of units of formula (I) and (II) from 18 to 30.

6. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 1 which is in the form of a membrane.

7. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 6 which is in the form of an anisotropic membrane possessing a) a thin dense or micro-porous layer and b) a relatively thick layer which is more porous than layer a).

8. A sulphonated polysulphone according to claim 6 which is in the form of a composite membrane, the resin being in the form of a thin dense or microporous layer deposited on a porous support.