Advanced filtration membranes using chitosan and graphene oxide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235291-B2
Application number	US-202016826296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Aug 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A composition of five parts by mass of chitosan and one part graphene oxide is suspended in water. The composition may be used to form filtration layers of any size or shape and may be reinforced by additional layers. The composition may be used to construct a large filtration apparatus of any size or shape and may be used to form highly resilient, antimicrobial structures and surfaces for a variety of applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a one-directional fluid flow, water purification or antimicrobial coated apparatus comprised of the steps of:
protonating a quantity of chitosan to create protonated chitosan;
mixing a quantity of graphene oxide with said protonated chitosan to create a solution;
filling a molding structure with a quantity of said solution;
evaporating said solution on a surface to create a membrane having a target thickness;
and treating said membrane with a base having a pH greater than 10 or thermally;
wherein said quantity of chitosan and said quantity of graphene have a ratio between 4:1 and 6:1.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the step of protonating includes the step of creating a homogeneous mixture by rendering the chitosan water soluble.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of protonating further includes combining said quantity of chitosan with an acid.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said acid is selected from the group consisting of Acetic Acid, Malic, Succinic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Oxalic Acid, Adipic Acid, Citric Acid, Formic Acid, Carboxylic Acid, Sulfonic Acid, Muriatic Acid and Tannic Acid.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said acid is organic.

Assignees

• Us Army

Inventors

• Medina Victor F
• Griggs Christopher S
• Mattei-Sosa Jose
• Petery Brooke
• Gurtowski Luke

Classifications

• B01D63/10

  Spiral-wound membrane modules · CPC title

• B01D71/024

  Oxides · CPC title

• B01D69/1216

  Three or more layers · CPC title

• B01D69/10

  Supported membranes; Membrane supports · CPC title

• B01D67/00793

  Dispersing a component, e.g. as particles or powder, in another component · CPC title