Porous water decontamination membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12465895-B2
Application number	US-202519243771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2025
Priority date	Dec 19, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A membrane including a polysulfone/polyethylene terephthalate (PSf/PET) support and an active layer on an outer surface of the PSf/PET support. The active layer comprises reacted units of a diacyl chloride compound, a tetra-amine compound, and a nanocomposite including graphitic carbon nitride and polypyrrole. The membrane of the present disclosure is self-cleaning following exposure to radiation and finds application in water decontamination and de-salination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A porous water decontamination membrane, comprising:
a polysulfone/polyethylene terephthalate (PSf/PET) support; and a crosslinked polyamide active layer on an outer surface of the PSf/PET support, wherein the crosslinked polyamide active layer comprises reacted units of:
a diacyl chloride compound;
a tetra-amine compound; and
a homogeneous nanocomposite comprising graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets and polypyrrole;
wherein the graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets are bonded to at least one terminal end of the polypyrrole in the nanocomposite.

2 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets has triazine and hepta zine rings.

3 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets have a thickness of 10-100 nm.

4 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the diacyl chloride compound is an aromatic ring substituted with two acyl chloride groups.

5 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the tetra-amine compound is a linear or branched aliphatic amine with of 2-50 carbons and four amine groups.

6 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has 0.01 to 5 wt % of the nanocomposite based on the total weight of the crosslinked polyamide active layer.

7 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein particles of the crosslinked polyamide active layer have a globular shape.

8 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein particles of the crosslinked polyamide active layer are not agglomerated.

9 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein particles of the crosslinked polyamide active layer have an average size of 50-200 nm.

10 . The membrane of claim 1 , having 50-70 at. % carbon, 25-35 at. % sulfur, 5-15 at. % oxygen, and 1-10 at. % nitrogen, based on a total number of atoms in the membrane.

11 . The membrane of claim 1 , having a surface roughness of less than 24 nm.

12 . The membrane of claim 1 , having a water contact angle of less than 90°.

13 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinked polyamide active layer covers at least 95% of the outer surface of the polysulfone/polyethylene terephthalate (PSf/PET) support.

14 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is porous, having pores with an average diameter of less than 1 nm.

15 . The membrane of claim 1 , having a permeate flux of 40 to 100 L m −2 h −1 at 10-30 bar.

16 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane rejects at least 60% of inorganic salts.

17 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is self-cleaning following exposure to radiation.

18 . The membrane of claim 17 , wherein the radiation is from 400-700 nm.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals

Inventors

• Baig Umair
• Waheed Abdul

Classifications

• B01D71/481

  Polyarylates · CPC title

• B01D71/0211

  Graphene or derivates thereof · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• B01D2323/21839

  Polymeric additives · CPC title