Method of forming tubesheet for hollow fibers
First Claim
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1. A method of preparing a hollow fiber membrane device comprising sequentially:
- (a) forming at least one tubesheet on a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, each of the hollow fiber membranes having a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending therebetween, the at least one tubesheet being in part defined by a first face proximate to and a second face remote from the first ends of the hollow fiber membranes,(b) treating the hollow fiber membranes embedded in the tubesheet whereby the cross-section of the hollow fiber membranes shrink to cause gaps between the hollow fiber membranes and the tubesheet;
(c) casting a liquid resin on the second face of the tubesheet whereby the resin penetrates between the hollow fiber membranes and into the gaps; and
(d) curing the resin to form at least one normally solid adherent layer in intimate contact with the second face of the tubesheet and the hollow fiber membranes embedded in the tubesheet, so as to seal the gaps between the hollow fiber membranes and the tubesheet.
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Abstract
Hollow fiber membranes can change dimensions upon drying or other processing creating leaks in tubesheets formed on fiber bundles. An adherent layer is formed in contact with an inner surface of each tubesheet and the fiber membranes therein in such a manner as to fill gaps formed between the hollow fiber membranes and each tubesheet during the drying or processing of the hollow fiber membranes and tubesheets. Preferably, the adherent layer is cast from a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A containing an acrylo-nitrile-modified polyamine curing agent and the hollow fibers are cellulose ester.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of preparing a hollow fiber membrane device comprising sequentially:
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(a) forming at least one tubesheet on a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, each of the hollow fiber membranes having a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending therebetween, the at least one tubesheet being in part defined by a first face proximate to and a second face remote from the first ends of the hollow fiber membranes, (b) treating the hollow fiber membranes embedded in the tubesheet whereby the cross-section of the hollow fiber membranes shrink to cause gaps between the hollow fiber membranes and the tubesheet; (c) casting a liquid resin on the second face of the tubesheet whereby the resin penetrates between the hollow fiber membranes and into the gaps; and (d) curing the resin to form at least one normally solid adherent layer in intimate contact with the second face of the tubesheet and the hollow fiber membranes embedded in the tubesheet, so as to seal the gaps between the hollow fiber membranes and the tubesheet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification