# US 10,441,925 B2 · Process for making membranes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,925 B2 - Document ID: US10441925B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/502,896 - Filed: 2015-07-30 - Published: 2017-08-24 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-12 - Assignees: BASF SE - Applicants: BASF SE - Inventors: Martin Weber; Nicole Janssen; Hartwig Voss; Jacek Malisz; Martin Heijnen; Edoardo Menozzi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441925B2 ## CPC - B01D 71/80: Block polymers - A23L 2/74: using membranes, e.g. osmosis, ultrafiltration - B01D 67/0011: {Casting solutions therefor} - B01D 67/0016: {Coagulation} - B01D 71/5211: {Polyethylene glycol or polyethyleneoxide} - B01D 71/68: Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones - C02F 1/44: by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis {(general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268)} - C08G 75/23: Polyethersulfones - C08J 3/005: {Processes for mixing polymers} - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - B01D 2325/0283: Pore size - B01D 2325/20: Specific permeability or cut-off range - B01D 2325/22: Thermal or heat-resistance properties - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - C08G 2340/00: Filter material - C08J 2381/06: Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones - C08J 2481/06: Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract Process for making a membrane M comprising the following steps: a) preparing a copolymer C, wherein said copolymer C comprises blocks of at least one polyarylene ether A and blocks of polyalkylene oxide PAO, wherein the content of polyethyleneoxide in copolymer C is 30 to 90% by weight and wherein copolymer C is prepared in a solvent L to yield solution S; b) providing a dope solution D comprising at least one polymer P; c) mixing solution S and dope solution D; d) preparing a membrane by bringing the mixture of solution S and dope solution D into contact with at least one coagulating agent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for making a membrane M, the process comprising: a) preparing a copolymer C, wherein said copolymer C comprises blocks of at least one polyarylene ether A and blocks of polyalkylene oxide PAO, wherein the content of polyalkylene oxide PAO in copolymer C is 30 to 90% by weight and wherein copolymer C is prepared in a solvent L to yield solution S; b) providing a dope solution D comprising at least one polymer P; c) mixing the solution S obtained in the preparation of copolymer C and the dope solution D to obtain a mixture; and d) preparing a membrane by bringing the mixture of the solution S and the dope solution D into contact with at least one coagulating agent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein said block of at least one polyarylene ether A is selected from the group consisting of a polyethersulfone, a polysulfone, a polyphenylenesulfone, and copolymers or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein said polymer P is selected from the group consisting of a polyethersulfone, a polysulfone and a polyphenylenesulfone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said polyalkylene oxide is polyethylene oxide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent L is NMP. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said at least one coagulating agent comprises water. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the membrane M contains the copolymer C and the polymer P in a mass ratio of 1:99 to 1:3. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said blocks of polyalkylene oxide PAO have an average molecular mass Mn of 150 g/mol to 20000 g/mol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said dope solution D further comprises a further additive selected from the group consisting of a polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polyethylene oxide, a phenoxy resin, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said copolymer C is prepared by reacting aromatic bishalogeno compounds and aromatic biphenols or salts thereof in the presence of at least one suitable base and in the presence of at least one polyalkylene oxide PAO. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A membrane obtained by the process of claim 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A filtration system, comprising the membrane of claim 11. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A water treatment method, comprising: passing an aqueous medium through the membrane of claim 11. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the aqueous medium is in the form of: an industrial or municipal waste, a sea or brackish water, a dialysis sample, a plasmolysis sample, or a food to be processed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said block of at least one polyarylene ether A is selected from the group consisting of a polyethersulfone, a polysulfone, a polyphenylenesulfone, and copolymers or mixtures thereof, said polymer P is selected from the group consisting of a polyethersulfone, a polysulfone and a polyphenylenesulfone, said polyalkylene oxide is polyethylene oxide, and said solvent L is NMP.