Hydrophilic membrane

• US 6,083,393 A
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pall Corporation (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pall Corporation (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Wu, Xiaosong, Konstantin, Peter, Shertok, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): FORTUNA, ANA M
• Application Number:
  US08/958,654
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 210/500.95, 210/500.41, 210/500.38, 210/500.27, 210/500.36, 264/41
• US Class Current: 210/500.35
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/12 Specific ratios of components used
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/30 Cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/40 in-situ membrane formation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/34 Molecular weight or degree of polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/36 Hydrophilic membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0006 by chemical reactions in-situ polymerisation, polycondensation, cross-linking or reaction for manufacturing composite membranes B01D69/125
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0011 Casting solutions therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/141 Heterogeneous membranes, e.g. containing dispersed material; Mixed matrix membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/40 Polymers of unsaturated acids or derivatives thereof, e.g. salts, amides, imides, nitriles, anhydrides, esters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/401 Polymers based on the polymerisation of acrylic acid, e.g. polyacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/68 Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones

Abstract

A hydrophilic porous membrane is provided which comprises a network of a non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer and an in situ crosslinked hydrophilic acrylate polymer. A method of preparing such a hydrophilic porous membrane also is provided, wherein a reaction solution of a non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer, a crosslinkable polyfunctional acrylate, a polymerization initiator, and, optionally, a monofunctional monomer, is polymerized in situ and cast to provide a hydrophilic porous membrane.

Claims

1. A hydrophilic porous membrane comprising a network of a non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer and an in situ crosslinked hydrophilic acrylate polymer.

2. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 1, wherein said non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfone, polysulfone, polyarylsulfide, and aryl polyimides.

3. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 1, wherein said crosslinked hydrophilic acrylate polymer comprises a polyfunctional acrylate.

4. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 3, wherein said polyfunctional acrylate is an alkylene glycol polyacrylate.

5. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 4, wherein said alkylene glycol polyacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate.

6. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 5, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate.

7. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 6, wherein said polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate of PEG 200 or greater.

8. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 6, wherein said polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate of PEG 400 or greater.

9. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 3, wherein said polyfunctional acrylate is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol diacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and combinations thereof.

10. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 1, wherein said crosslinked hydrophilic acrylate polymer is a copolymer comprising a polyfunctional acrylate and a monofunctional monomer.

11. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 10, wherein said polyfunctional acrylate is an alkylene glycol polyacrylate.

12. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 11, wherein said alkylene glycol polyacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate.

13. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 12, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate.

14. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 12, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate of PEG 200 or greater.

15. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 14, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate of PEG 400 or greater.

16. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 10, wherein said monofunctional monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl methacrylate, and combinations thereof.

17. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 10, wherein said monofunctional monomer is an acrylamidosulfonic acid monomer.

18. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 10, wherein said monofunctional monomer is a (trialkylammonium)alkyl acrylate.

19. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 10, wherein said monofunctional monomer is a (dialkylamino)alkyl acrylate.

20. The hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 10, wherein said polyfunctional acrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate of PEG 400 or greater and said monofunctional monomer is 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate.

21. A filtration device comprising a housing and the hydrophilic porous membrane of claim 1.

22. A method of treating a fluid comprising contacting a fluid with the hydrophilic microporous membrane of claim 1.

23. A method of preparing a hydrophilic porous membrane comprising:

(a) providing a reaction solution comprising a solvent, a non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer, a crosslinkable polyfunctional acrylate, and a polymerization initiator,

(b) subjecting said reaction solution to conditions wherein said crosslinkable polyfunctional acrylate undergoes crosslinking in situ to provide a casting solution, and

(c) casting said casting solution to provide said hydrophilic porous membrane comprising a network of a non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer and an in situ crosslinked hydrophilic acrylate polymer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said non-crystalline hydrophobic polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfone, polysulfone, polyarylsulfide, and aryl polyimides.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said crosslinkable polyfunctional acrylate is an alkylene glycol polyacrylate.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said alkylene glycol polyacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate of PEG 200 or greater.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said polyethylene glycol diacrylate is a polyethylene glycol diacrylate of PEG 400 or greater.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein said reaction solution further comprises a monofunctional monomer.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said monofunctional monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl methacrylate, and combinations thereof.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said monofunctional monomer is an acrylamidosulfonic acid monomer.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said monofunctional monomer is a (trialkylammonium)alkyl acrylate.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein said monofunctional monomer is a (dialkylamino)alkyl acrylate.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein said crosslinkable polyfunctional acrylate is a polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate of PEG 400 or greater and said monofunctional monomer is 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate.