Non-braided, textile-reinforced hollow fiber membrane

• US 9,643,129 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• 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, Pedersen, Steven Kristian
• Primary Examiner(s): FORTUNA, ANA M
• Application Number:
  US14/717,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20160184777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 21050023, 264178 R, 26417714, 442 60, 442269, 442366, 118 75
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/40 Fibre reinforced membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/085 Details relating to the spinneret
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/087 Details relating to the spinning process
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/088 Co-extrusion; Co-spinning

Abstract

Various methods of making a reinforced membrane, devices for making the membranes, and the resulting membranes are described. The methods typically provide a reinforcing structure that includes filaments extending around the circumference of the membrane but without the filaments being part of a braided or woven structure. Some of the reinforcing structures also include longitudinal filaments. The methods and devices can be used to make a supporting structure in line with membrane formation steps, and also allow for a reinforced membrane to be produced that has a ratio of inside-to-outside diameters of 0.5 or more.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a hollow fiber membrane comprising,

a mandrel;

a creel at one end of the mandrel positioned to distribute a plurality of yarns around the outer surface of the mandrel;

a membrane dope coating head at another end of the mandrel; and

,

one or more of a staple fiber wrapping device, a bonding device and a smoothing device located around the mandrel between the creel and the membrane dope coating head.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a stable fiber wrapping device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a smoothing device.

4. An apparatus for making a hollow fiber membrane comprising,

a mandrel;

a source of filaments adapted to form an arrangement of filaments around the mandrel; and

,

a coating head adapted to receive the plurality of filaments and apply a membrane dope to the filaments;

wherein the mandrel extends into a coating head button of the coating head such that, when the membrane dope is applied by the coating head, the membrane dope fills a gap between the mandrel and the coating head button to impregnate the plurality of filaments received in the coating head.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the mandrel has a central bore through which either a fluid or a hollow fiber may be passed.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the mandrel has at least two outer diameters at different positions along the length of the mandrel.