Hollow fiber membrane module

• US 6,331,248 B1
• Filed: 03/20/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Asahi Chemical Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Tohru, Suga, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): FORTUNA, ANA M
• Application Number:
  US09/043,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 210/321.78, 210/321.79, 210/321.8, 210/321.87, 210/321.89, 210/321.81, 210/321.9, 210/232, 210/450, 210/500.23
• US Class Current: 210/321.8
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/04 Backflushing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/185 Aeration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/022 Encapsulating hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/0221 using a mould
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/023 Encapsulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/08 Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation

Abstract

A hollow fiber membrane module comprising a module case and a hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, at least one end of the bundle being bonded to and fixed on the module case, wherein the bonding portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the module case comprise a silicone type resin and in at least one of the bonding portions, a reinforcing rib for reinforcing the bonding portions is directly fixed on the module case. According to the hollow fiber membrane module of this invention, the membrane filtration treatment of water containing ozone over a long period of time and the repeating washing with water containing ozone are made possible.

Claims

1. A hollow fiber membrane module comprising:

a module case;

a hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;

a bonding portion for fixing and bonding at least one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the module case, the bonding portion comprising a silicone resin;

a reinforcing rib completely embedded in the bonding portion for reinforcing the bonding portion, said reinforcing rib being directly fixed to the module case;

a female thread located inside of said module case; and

a male thread located on said reinforcing rib, said male thread being engageable with said female thread to secure said reinforcing rib to said module case.

2. A hollow fiber membrane module comprising:

a module case;

a hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;

a bonding portion for fixing and bonding at least one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the module case, the bonding portion comprising a silicone resin;

a reinforcing rib completely embedded in the bonding portion for reinforcing the bonding portion, said reinforcing rib being directly fixed to the module case;

a notch located inside of said module case; and

a projection located on said reinforcing rib, said projection being insertable into said notch to secure said reinforcing rib to said module case.

3. A hollow fiber membrane module comprising:

a module case;

a hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;

a bonding portion for fixing and bonding at least one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the module case, the bonding portion comprising a silicone resin; and

a reinforcing rib completely embedded in the bonding portion for reinforcing the bonding portion, said reinforcing rib being directly fixed to the module case,

wherein said reinforcing rib is fixed to said module case by welding, and said module case and said reinforcing rib are composed of stainless steel.

4. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the cross-section of the reinforcing rib perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane module has a radial shape, a lattice shape or a combined shape of a radial shape and a concentric shape.

5. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the reinforcing rib is a flat plate or a plurality of flat plates arranged in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane module, said flat plate or plates having a plurality of perforated holes therein.

6. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the hollow fiber membrane comprises a fluorine resin.

7. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the bonding portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the module case comprises a silicone resin obtained by curing a liquid silicone rubber.

8. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the bonding portion of the hollow fiber membrane and the module case is a silicone resin obtained by curing an addition liquid silicone rubber, the viscosity before the curing is 10 mPa·

sec to 250 Pa·

sec, and the weight average molecular weight before the curing is in the range of from 5,000 to 300,000.

9. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 3, wherein the bonding portion of the hollow fiber membrane and the module case is a silicone resin obtained by curing an addition silicon rubber and the JIS-A hardness as measured by the measurement method of JIS K6301 after the curing is at least 30, and the tensile strength at break is at least 2 MPa.

10. A hollow fiber membrane module comprising:

a module case;

a hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;

a bonding portion for fixing and bonding at least one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the module case, the bonding portion comprising a silicone resin; and

a reinforcing rib completely embedded in the bonding portion for reinforcing the bonding portion, said reinforcing rib being directly fixed to the module case,

wherein said reinforcing rib is integrally molded with said module case.

11. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the cross-section of the reinforcing rib perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane module has a radial shape, a lattice shape or a combined shape of a radial shape and a concentric shape.

12. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the reinforcing rib is a flat plate or a plurality of flat plates arranged in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane module, said flat plate or plates having a plurality of perforated holes therein.

13. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the module case and the reinforcing rib are composed of any one of stainless steel, a fluorine resin and a chlorine resin or a combination thereof.

14. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the hollow fiber membrane comprises a fluorine resin.

15. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the bonding portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the module case comprises a silicone resin obtained by curing a liquid silicone rubber.

16. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the bonding portion of the hollow fiber membrane and the module case is a silicone resin obtained by curing an addition liquid silicone rubber, the viscosity before the curing is 10 mPa·

sec to 250 Pa·

sec, and the weight average molecular weight before the curing is in the range of from 5,000 to 300,000.

17. The hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 10, wherein the bonding portion of the hollow fiber membrane and the module case is a silicone resin obtained by curing an addition silicon rubber and the JIS-A hardness as measured by the measurement method of JIS K6301 after the curing is at least 30, and the tensile strength at break is at least 2 MPa.