Nanoengineered field induced charge separation membranes manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9403128-B2
Application number	US-201414185053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2009
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A device according to one embodiment includes a porous membrane having a surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect being present in pores of the membrane, where the porous membrane includes functional groups that preferentially interact with either cations or anions. A device according to another embodiment includes a porous membrane having a surface charge in pores thereof sufficient to impart anion or cation selectivity in the pores. Additional devices, systems and methods are also presented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deionization system, comprising:
an anode;
a cathode;
at least one cation selective porous membrane in a solution, the at least one cation selective porous membrane being positioned between the anode and cathode; and
at least one anion selective porous membrane in a solution, the at least one anion selective porous membrane being positioned between the anode and the cathode,
wherein the at least one cation selective porous membrane has a negative surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect being present in pores of the at least one cation selective porous membrane,
wherein the at least one anion selective porous membrane has a positive surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect being present in pores of the at least one anion selective porous membrane,
wherein the at least one anion selective porous membrane is coupled to a polymer layer configured to impart a positive surface charge,
wherein the polymer layer comprises functional groups that preferentially interact with anions, the functional groups being coupled directly to a surface of the polymer layer,
wherein at least one of the functional groups coupled directly to a surface of the polymer layer include 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyldimethyl ammonium chloride.

2. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer comprises a biocide agent.

3. The deionization system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the biocide agent comprises at least one chelated copper ion.

4. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , the at least one cation selective porous membrane comprising functional groups that preferentially interact with cations, the functional groups being coupled directly to a surface of the at least one cation selective porous membrane.

5. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one cation selective porous membrane comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a crown ether, sulfonated tetrafluroethylene, polyacrylate, poly [N,N′-(phenoxyphenyl)-pyromellitimide], and combinations thereof.

6. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , comprising a second polymer layer, wherein the at least one cation selective porous membrane is coupled to the second polymer layer.

7. The deionization system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the second polymer layer comprises functional groups that preferentially interact with cations, the functional groups being coupled directly to a surface of the second polymer layer.

8. The deionization system as recited in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the polymer layer and the second polymer layer include a biocide agent.

9. The deionization system as recited in claim 6 , wherein at least one other of the functional groups coupled directly to a surface of the polymer layer is selected from the group consisting of: ethylenediamine, trimethoxysilyl propanoic acid, and 3-[(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)thio]propane-1-oxy-sulfonic acid.

10. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one cation selective porous membrane is ion specific.

11. The deionization system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the at least one cation selective porous membrane is specific to at least one cation selected from the group consisting of: potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

12. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one anion selective porous membrane is ion specific.

13. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one anion selective porous membrane is specific to at least one of chloride and nitrate.

14. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , comprising an array of the at least one cation selective porous membranes, wherein each cation selective membrane in the array is positioned between the anode and cathode and has a negative surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect being present in pores of the cation selective porous membranes.

15. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , comprising an array of the at least one anion selective porous membranes, wherein each anion selective membrane in the array is positioned between the anode and cathode and has a positive surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect being present in pores of the anion selective porous membrane.

16. The deionization system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one anion selective porous membrane comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: biguanidinium, 3-(methacryloylamino)propyl trimethylammonium chloride, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• O'Brien Kevin C
• Haslam Jeffery J
• Bourcier William L
• Floyd Iii William Clary

Classifications

• B01D69/02

  characterised by their properties · CPC title

• B01D67/0034

  by micromachining techniques, e.g. using masking and etching steps, photolithography · CPC title

• B01D67/0037

  by deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. CVD, PVD · CPC title

• B01D2323/345

  UV-treatment · CPC title

• B01D2325/16

  Membrane materials having positively charged functional groups · CPC title