High surface area permeable material
First Claim
1. An integral three-dimensional structure providing a plurality of separate interpenetrating, three-dimensional domains or channels, each of said domains or channels being a closed system of connected porosity or permeability with multiple interconnections only with respect to its respective domain or channel, each of said domains or channels being interpenetrating within said structure.
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Abstract
Three-dimensional structures providing a plurality of separate interpenetrating, three-dimensional domains or channels or flowpaths, each of said domains or channels or flowpaths being a closed system of connected porosity or permeability and each of said domains or channels or flowpaths being interpenetrating within said structure, have been prepared. These structures are prepared from porous permeable precursor materials having a single three-dimensional domain or channel or flowpath as described above. Suitable precursor materials are provided by the abundant porous carbonate skeletal material of marine life, e.g. the coral Porites skeletal aragonite. For example, by coating the surfaces of such materials with a liquid material capable of being cured or set to a solid, followed by curing or setting and dissolution, e.g. chemical etching, of the coated skeletal material, there is produced a three-dimensional structure in accordance with this invention possessing two separate interpenetrating, three-dimensional domains or channels or flowpaths defined by the residual cured or set coating material. The resulting structure of this invention can be adapted such that a fluid can be applied to one side or face of the structure to flow into and out of such structure via only one of said channels or flowpaths and when so adapted can be employed in apparatus for the treatment or handling of one or more of the fluid streams flowing there-through.
28 Citations
30 Claims
- 1. An integral three-dimensional structure providing a plurality of separate interpenetrating, three-dimensional domains or channels, each of said domains or channels being a closed system of connected porosity or permeability with multiple interconnections only with respect to its respective domain or channel, each of said domains or channels being interpenetrating within said structure.
- 21. A method of transferring or transporting a component of one flowing fluid stream to another flowing fluid stream without physically intermingling or mixing said streams which comprises flowing said one fluid stream containing said component through a first separate interpenetrating, three-dimensional channel or flowpath provided within a structure having an inlet and outlet only for said one fluid stream, flowing said other fluid stream through a second separate interpenetrating, three-dimensional channel or flowpath also provided within said structure and having an inlet and outlet only for said other fluid stream, the walls of said first channel or flowpath being defined by or made up of a material which is selectively permeable for said component such that as the first stream containing said component flows through said first channel or flowpath said component permeates or moves through said selectively permeable material making up or defining the walls of said first channel or flowpath into said other fluid flowing through said other channel or flowpath.
Specification