High temperature humidification membranes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017229720-A1
Application number	US-201715424125-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 3, 2017
Priority date	Feb 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Membranes and methods of making and using the membranes are described herein. The membranes can include a foamed polymeric support and a plurality of inorganic particles disposed within the foamed polymeric support. The foamed polymeric support can contain a hydrophilic polymer such as polyethersulfone. The plurality of inorganic particles can include hydrophilic particles such as zeolite particles. In certain embodiments, the membrane can be used in humidifiers, such as those used in fuel cell systems. In some aspects, the membrane can be used for separating a fluid mixture comprising water. The membranes described herein are stable for high temperature applications.

First claim

1 . A membrane comprising:
a foamed polymeric support comprising a polymer, and a plurality of inorganic particles disposed within the foamed polymeric support, wherein the plurality of inorganic particles are present in an amount of greater than 10 wt %, based on the total weight of the foamed polymeric support and the plurality of inorganic particles.

2 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a hydrophilic polymer.

3 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature of at least 90° C.

4 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a sulfone-based polymer.

5 . The membrane of claim 4 , wherein the sulfone-based polymer comprises polyethersulfone.

6 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inorganic particles comprise alkaline earth metal oxides; transition metal oxides; lanthanide metal oxides; group IVA metal oxides; transition metals; transition-metal catalysts; metal alloys; silicates; alumino-silicates; clay; or combinations thereof.

7 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inorganic particles comprise zeolite.

8 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inorganic particles are present in an amount of at least 20 wt %, based on the total weight of the foamed polymeric support and the plurality of inorganic particles.

9 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inorganic particles are present in an amount of from greater than 10 wt % to 70 wt %, based on the total weight of the foamed polymeric support and the plurality of inorganic particles.

10 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inorganic particles have an average particle diameter of from about 100 nm to about 1 μm.

11 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the foamed cells have an average diameter of about 100 microns or less.

12 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has an average thickness of from about 100 microns to about 500 microns.

13 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is selectively permeable to water.

14 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a water vapor transmission rate of at least about 1.0×10 −5 mol·s −1 m −2 at 30° C., as measured according to ASTM E398.

15 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a N 2 permeance of less than 1 standard cubic centimeter per minute at 15 psi and 21° C.

16 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a N 2 permeance of less than 0.1 standard cubic centimeter per minute at 5 psi and 21° C.

17 . A humidifier comprising the membrane of claim 1 .

18 . A fuel cell comprising the humidifier of claim 17 .

19 . A method of making a foamed polymer membrane of claim 1 , comprising,
(a) providing a material comprising a polymer and a plurality of inorganic particles, and (b) processing the material to form a foamed polymer membrane, wherein the plurality of inorganic particles are present in an amount of greater than 10 wt %, based on the total weight of the polymer and the plurality of inorganic particles.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein step (a) comprises
(i) mixing polymer particles and the plurality of inorganic particles to form a blend, and (ii) extruding the blend to form the material comprising the polymer and plurality of inorganic particles.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein step (a) comprises
(i) mixing the polymer and the plurality of inorganic particles with a solvent to form a mixture, and (ii) casting the mixture to form the material comprising the polymer and plurality of inorganic particles.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein step (b) comprises
(i) contacting the material with a gas to form a gas saturated material, and (ii) heating the gas saturated material to form the foamed polymer.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the gas saturated material is heated to a temperature of at least about 160° C.

24 . A method for separating a fluid mixture comprising water, the method comprising contacting the membrane of claim 1 with the fluid mixture under conditions effective to afford transmembrane permeation of the water.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Chen Dongmei
• Li Wei
• Borduin Russell

Classifications

• B29B11/10

  Extrusion moulding · CPC title

• H01M8/04149 Primary

  by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes · CPC title

• B01D69/141

  Heterogeneous membranes, e.g. containing dispersed material; Mixed matrix membranes · CPC title

• B29B11/16

  comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)} · CPC title

• B29K2081/06

  PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof · CPC title