Non-braided reinforced holow fibre membrane

• US 9,132,390 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BL Technologies Inc. (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BL Technologies Inc. (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cote, Pierre Lucien
• Primary Examiner(s): FORTUNA, ANA M
• Application Number:
  US13/260,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20120018371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 210/500.23, 210/490, 442/60, 442/269, 442/366, 442/43, 442/58, 442/364, 294/28, 427/407.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/40 Fibre reinforced membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/02 characterised by their properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/08 Hollow fibre membranes manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/085 Details relating to the spinneret
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A hollow fiber membrane comprising a reinforcing structure embedded within a membrane wall is provided. A generally tube-shaped reinforcing structure for a hollow fiber membrane is also provided. The reinforcing structure comprises i) a plurality of warp filaments, the plurality of warp filaments being generally parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other circumferentially; and, ii) one or more wrap filaments, each of the one or more wrap filaments extending obliquely between at least two of the plurality of warp filaments.

Claims

1. A generally tube-shaped reinforcing structure for a hollow fibre membrane comprising,

a) a plurality of reinforcing filaments comprising,

i) a plurality of warp filaments, the plurality of warp filaments being generally parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other circumferentially;

and,

ii) one or more wrap filaments, each of the one or more wrap filaments extending obliquely between at least two of the plurality of warp filaments,

wherein

the plurality of reinforcing filaments are bonded together at one or more points of contact where they intersect.

2. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing filaments do not cross each other radially.

3. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein the one or more wrap filaments are located radially outside of the plurality of warp filaments.

4. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein the one or more wrap filaments comprise a filament wrapped in a continuous spiral around the outside of the one or more warp filaments.

5. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein the one or more wrap filaments comprise a plurality of filament segments.

6. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein the one or more wrap filaments comprise a plurality of filaments that extend along the length of the reinforcing structure in a zigzag pattern.

7. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein one or more of the reinforcing filaments has an outer layer that responds to bonding by at least one of heating, softening with a solvent and UV activation.

8. The reinforcing structure of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing filaments are bonded together by softening of the reinforcing filaments or an outer layer of the reinforcing filaments in a solvent of a membrane dope applied to the reinforcing structure.

9. A reinforcing structure for a hollow fibre membrane comprising, a plurality of reinforcing filaments, wherein one or more of the reinforcing filaments comprises a first polymer and an outer layer of a second polymer that responds to bonding by at least one of heating, softening with a solvent and UV activation, wherein

the reinforcing filaments are bonded together at one or more points of contact where they intersect by softening of the reinforcing filaments or an outer layer of the reinforcing filaments in a solvent of a membrane dope applied to the reinforcing structure.

10. The reinforcing structure of claim 9 wherein the reinforcing filaments are not woven together.

11. The reinforcing structure of claim 9 wherein the reinforcing filaments comprise monofilaments, multi-filaments or a mixture of monofilaments and multi-filaments.

12. A hollow fiber membrane comprising a reinforcing structure according to claim 9 embedded within a membrane wall.