Compositions and Methods for Improving the Anti-Fouling Properties of Polyethersulfone Membranes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017326505-A1
Application number	US-201615257896-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention includes a treatment system and methods for removing waste or other agents from a fluid stream, the system comprising: an inlet flow path for receiving a fluid stream from a source outside the treatment system; a vessel for containing the fluid stream, the vessel comprising a permeable filter configured for biological and physical treatment of the fluid stream, the filter comprising one or more nano-thin film or polymer composite layers of carbon materials assembled in sp2 hybridized structures comprising carbon-carbon bonds, wherein the waste or agent is removed as it flows through pores in the film composite; and a drain fluidly connected to the vessel for discharging treated fluid stream from the vessel from which the waste or agents have been removed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An anti-fouling and chemically superior wastewater filter composition comprising one or more nano-thin films or polymer composite layers of carbon materials assembled in sp2 hybridized structures comprising carbon-carbon bonds.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composite layers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, fluoropolymers, polyvinylidene fluorides, polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polyacrylamides, polyacrylates, polyacrylonitriles, poly(meth)acrylates, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohols, polysaccharides, chitosan, proteins, polyalkyleneoxides, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyvinyl chlorides, polyimines, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyacrylic acids, polymethacrylic acids, polysiloxanes, poly(ester-co-glycol) polymers, poly(ether-co-amide) polymers, cross-linked forms thereof, derivatives thereof, and copolymers thereof.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composite is a blend of graphene material and polyethersulfone.

4 . The composition of claim 3 , wherein the graphene material is selected from the group consisting of graphene and graphene oxide.

5 . The composition of claim 4 , wherein the graphene material comprises one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, or one or more metals.

6 . The method for making the composition of claim 1 , comprising of a polymer blended with nano-carbon materials assembled in sp2 hybridized structures comprising carbon-carbon bonds between 0.01%-1% wt. of the polymer blend.

7 . The method of using the composition of claim 1 , wherein 0.01% wt. nano-carbon material is a superior hydrophilic, anti-fouling additive to polymer mixed matrix membranes to 1% wt. copolymer PVP.

8 . The graphene material of claim 2 , wherein the graphene oxide has a dimension of from about 0.01 μm to about 100 μm.

9 . A wastewater fluid filtering method comprising:
placing a base fluid having potentially fouling-causing components, wherein the base fluid is selected from the group consisting of an aqueous fluid, a non-aqueous fluid, and combinations thereof; incorporating a filter composition comprising one or more polymer composites of carbon materials assembled in sp2 hybridized structures comprising carbon-carbon bonds; allowing the base fluid to flow through the filter composition; and selectively removing the fouling agents from the base fluid for a greater period of time with less energy due to the filter composition.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer composite layers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, fluoropolymers, polyvinylidene fluorides, polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polyacrylamides, polyacrylates, polyacrylonitriles, poly(meth)acrylates, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohols, polysaccharides, chitosan, proteins, polyalkyleneoxides, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyvinyl chlorides, polyimines, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyacrylic acids, polymethacrylic acids, polysiloxanes, poly(ester-co-glycol) polymers, poly(ether-co-amide) polymers, cross-linked forms thereof, derivatives thereof, and copolymers thereof.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer composite is a blend of graphene material and polyethersulfone wherein the graphene material replaces the use of PVP in the polymer composite.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the graphene material is selected from the group consisting of graphene and graphene oxide.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the graphene material comprises one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, or one or more metals.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the graphene oxide has a dimension of from about 0.01 μm to about 100 μm.

15 . A filtration module comprising:
at least one membrane with a retentate surface and a permeate surface; means for contacting a fluid mixture with the retentate surface of the at least one membrane; means for removing a retentate from the retentate surface of the membrane; and means for removing a permeate from the permeate surface of the membrane.

16 . A fluid separation system comprising at least one filtration module of claim 15 .

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one membrane comprises one or more nano-thin films or polymer composite layers of carbon materials assembled in sp2 hybridized structures comprising carbon-carbon bonds.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the polymer composite layers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, fluoropolymers, polyvinylidene fluorides, polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polyacrylamides, polyacrylates, polyacrylonitriles, poly(meth)acrylates, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohols, polysaccharides, chitosan, proteins, polyalkyleneoxides, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyvinyl chlorides, polyimines, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyacrylic acids, polymethacrylic acids, polysiloxanes, poly(ester-co-glycol) polymers, poly(ether-co-amide) polymers, cross-linked forms thereof, derivatives thereof, and copolymers thereof.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the polymer composite is a blend of graphene material and polyethersulfone.

20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the graphene material comprises one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, or one or more metals.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Deemer Eva M
• Walker William Shane
• Capt Tallen A

Classifications

• B01D69/148

  Organic/inorganic mixed matrix membranes · CPC title

• C02F2101/32

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil · CPC title

• B01D69/02

  characterised by their properties · CPC title

• C02F1/442

  by nanofiltration · CPC title

• B01D71/68

  Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones · CPC title