Hollow fiber membrane module and method for producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159938-B2
Application number	US-201515514228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A module includes a bonded portion in which the hollow-fiber-membranes are bonded and fixed together by potting material at least in an end portion of each of the hollow-fiber-membranes. Each of the hollow-fiber-membranes has a resin impregnation portion in which resin is impregnated into an outer surface side of each of the hollow-fiber-membranes at least in the end portion where each of the hollow-fiber-membranes is bonded and fixed together. In the end portion of the hollow-fiber-membranes, a leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end of each of the hollow-fiber-membranes is located closer to the other end than a leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end. The thickness of the resin impregnation portion in the direction of the wall thickness of the hollow-fiber-membranes is 10 to 70% with respect to the thickness of the hollow-fiber-membranes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hollow fiber membrane module comprising:
a hollow fiber membrane bundle composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes bundled together,
wherein the module includes a bonded portion in which the plurality of hollow fiber membranes are bonded and fixed together by potting material at least in an end portion of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and
wherein each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes has a resin impregnation portion in which resin is impregnated into an outer surface side of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes at least in the end portion where each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is bonded and fixed together, and
wherein a leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is located closer to the other end than a leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end in the end portion of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and
wherein the thickness of the resin impregnation portion in the direction of the wall thickness of the hollow fiber membrane is 10 to 70% with respect to the thickness of the hollow fiber membrane.

2. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein a difference between the glass transition temperature of the potting material and the glass transition temperature of the resin forming the resin impregnation portion is 0° C. or higher and 10° C. or lower.

3. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein the glass transition temperature of the potting material and the resin forming the resin impregnation portion is 70° C. or higher.

4. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein the potting material and the resin forming the resin impregnation portion include at least one of epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, urethane resin, unsaturated polyester resin, olefinic polymer, silicone resin, and fluorine-containing resin.

5. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein the potting material is epoxy resin, and
the resin forming the resin impregnation portion is the same as the potting material.

6. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein a distance between the leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end and the leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end is 1 cm or longer in arithmetic mean.

7. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein a distance between the leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end and the leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end is 1 cm or longer and 5 cm or shorter in arithmetic mean.

8. The hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein in the plurality of hollow fiber membranes,
an average pore diameter on an inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane is 1 to 50 μm, and
a blocking pore diameter of the hollow fiber membrane is 0.1 to 1 μm, and
wherein average pore diameter Pa of region a, average pore diameter Pb of region b and average pore diameter Pc of region c satisfy the following relationship:
Pa<Pb<Pc,

where
a region including an outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane is region a,
a region including an inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane is region c, and
a region between region a and region c is region b, in a case where the hollow fiber membrane is divided, in the direction of its membrane thickness from its outer surface toward its inner surface, into three equal regions a to c.

9. A method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module including a hollow fiber membrane bundle composed of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes bundled together,
the method comprising:
a preliminary step before bonding, in which a resin impregnation portion is formed in an outer surface side of each of the hollow fiber membranes by dipping at least an end portion of each of the hollow fiber membranes in resin solution obtained by diluting resin with organic solvent, and after then by drying the dipped portion; and
a bonding step, in which a bonded portion is formed, after the preliminary step before bonding, by bonding and fixing the end portion including the resin impregnation portion of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes together by potting material,
wherein the concentration of resin in the resin solution used in the preliminary step before bonding is 10 to 70 mass %, and
wherein in the bonding step, the bonded portion is formed in such a manner that a leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is located closer to the other end than a leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end in the end portion of each of all the plurality of hollow fiber membranes.

10. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein a difference between the glass transition temperature of the potting material and the glass transition temperature of the resin forming the resin impregnation portion is 0° C. or higher and 10° C. or lower.

11. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the glass transition temperature of the potting material and the resin forming the resin impregnation portion is 70° C. or higher.

12. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the potting material and the resin forming the resin impregnation portion include at least one of epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, urethane resin, unsaturated polyester resin, olefinic polymer, silicone resin, and fluorine-containing resin.

13. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the potting material is epoxy resin, and
the resin forming the resin impregnation portion is the same as the potting material.

14. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein a distance between the leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end and the leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end is 1 cm or longer in arithmetic mean.

15. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the bonded portion is formed in the bonding step in such a manner that a distance between the leading edge of the bonded portion toward the other end and the leading edge of the resin impregnation portion toward the other end is 1 cm or longer and 5 cm or shorter in arithmetic mean.

16. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the organic solvent is alcohol.

17. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the organic solvent is ethanol, 1-butanol or a mixture thereof.

18. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module, as defined in claim 9 ,
wherein in the plurality of hollow fiber membranes,
an average pore diameter on an inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane is 1 to 50 μm, and
a blocking pore diameter of the hollow fiber membrane is 0.1 to 1 μm, and
wherein average pore diameter Pa of region a, average pore diameter Pb of region b and average pore diameter Pc of region c satisfy the following relationship:
Pa<Pb<Pc,

where
a region including an outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane is region a,
a region including an inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane is region c

Assignees

• Asahi Chemical Ind

Inventors

• Nakamoto Kohei
• Shinohara Naoyuki

Classifications

• B01D63/023 Primary

  Encapsulating materials · CPC title

• B01D63/024

  with a single potted end · CPC title

• B01D63/022

  Encapsulating hollow fibres · CPC title

• B01D63/0222 Primary

  using centrifugal forces · CPC title