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US 10,865,127 B2Granted
Liquid separation device comprising a metallic mesh with a hydrophobic polymer coating
AssigneesMassachusetts Institute of Technology, ENI S.p.A.
InventorsPhilip M. Gschwend, Francesco Stellacci, Roberto Bagatin, Da Deng, Daniel P. Prendergast
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for separating liquids such as oil and water includes a hydrophobic and oleophilic mesh that allows oil to pass through while preventing water from passing through. The mesh can be fabricated simply from inexpensive materials by coating a mesh with a hydrophobic polymer.
Claims6
A liquid separating device comprising
- a porous element having a coating including a hydrophobic polymer including a non-fluorinated polyolefin,
- wherein the non-fluorinated polyolefin includes a polyethylene, the porous element having a mean pore size of 2 μm-142 μm when uncoated, and
- when coated, has a water contact angle greater than about 100° and less than about 150° ,
- the coating being globular and having both microscale structures that provide a microscale roughness and nanoscale structures that provide a nanoscale roughness and
- the porous element having a breakthrough depth of at least 10 cm, such that water pressure on a water-facing side of the porous element does not exceed the hydrophobic forces opposing passage of water through the element, and
- the porous element includes a mesh configured to separate oil from water in situ via capillary action.
3 more elements
A liquid separating device comprising:
- an oil recovery chamber having an inlet including a porous element having a coating including a hydrophobic polymer including a non-fluorinated polyolefin, wherein the non-fluorinated polyolefin includes a polyethylene,
- the porous element having globular irregular microstructures that provide a microscale roughness and nanostructures that provide nanoscale roughness
- wherein the porous element having a mean pore size of 2 μm-142 μm when uncoated, and when coated, has a water contact angle greater than about 100° and less than about 150° and a breakthrough depth of at least 10 cm;
- and
- an outlet configured to remove oil from the oil recovery chamber, the porous element including a hydrophobic and oleophilic mesh configured to separate oil from water in situ via capillary action.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.