# US 11,298,663 B2 · Thin metal/ceramic hybrid membrane sheet and filter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,663 B2 - Document ID: US11298663B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/237,166 - Filed: 2018-12-31 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28 - Assignees: Molecule Works Inc. - Applicants: Molecule Works Inc. - Inventors: Wei Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298663B2 ## CPC - B01D 69/1216: {Three or more layers} - B01D 63/08: Flat membrane modules - B01D 67/0041: {by agglomeration of particles in the dry state} - B01D 67/00411: {by sintering} - B01D 67/0069: {by deposition from the liquid phase, e.g. electrochemical deposition (B01D67/0046 takes precedence)} - B01D 67/0083: {Thermal after-treatment} - B01D 67/0088: {Physical treatment with compounds, e.g. swelling, coating or impregnation} - B01D 67/0093: {Chemical modification} - B01D 67/0095: {Drying} - B01D 69/02: characterised by their properties - B01D 69/1071: {Woven, non-woven or net mesh} - B01D 69/122: {Separate manufacturing of ultra-thin membranes} - B01D 71/02231: {Palladium} - B01D 71/024: {Oxides} - B01D 2323/04: Hydrophobization - B01D 2325/0283: Pore size - B01D 2325/04: Characteristic thickness - B01D 2325/06: Surface irregularities - 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) ## Abstract A thin micro-porous membrane sheet and filtering device using it is presented. The membrane sheet includes a thin porous metal sheet of thickness between 20 and 200 μm with a porous ceramic coating of thickness less than 25 μm on at least one of its surfaces. The porous metal sheet has mean pore sizes at micro and sub-micrometer level and has a surface substantially free of pores greater than 10 micrometers. The ceramic coating layer may be made of particles with a mean particle size in a range of 10 to 300 nm and contains certain sintering promoters. The ceramic coating is sintered with the metal sheet in non-oxidizing environment at lower temperatures than typical ceramic membranes. The thin membrane sheet is used to filter fine particulates from micrometers to nanometers from a liquid or gas stream. The thin membrane sheet may be assembled into a filter device having high surface area packing density and straight mini-flow channels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A filtering device for removal of particulate matters having a size less than five micrometers from a fluid comprising: at least one feed channel configured to introduce a feed fluid to a membrane surface; at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet having a thickness in a range of 20 to 220 μm and a porosity in a range of 20 to 60%, wherein less than 20% of surface pores of the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet have a size greater than 3 μm, and less than 1% of the surface pores have a size greater than 10 μm; and at least one channel for discharge of permeate away from the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet comprises greater than 60% by weight of nickel, a nickel alloy or a stainless steel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet comprises: a porous ceramic membrane layer disposed on a first surface of a porous metal support sheet, wherein the porous metal support sheet has a thickness in a range of 20 to 200 μm and a porosity in a range of 20 to 60%, wherein less than 20% of surface pores of the porous ceramic membrane layer have a size greater than 3 μm, and less than 1% of the surface pores have a size greater than 10 μm; wherein the porous ceramic membrane layer has a thickness above a surface of the porous metal support sheet in a range of about 0 to about 25 μm and has a penetration depth below a surface of the porous metal support sheet in a range of about 0 to about 10 μm; and wherein the porous ceramic membrane layer comprises primary ceramic particles having an average size in a range of 10 to 300 nm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The filtering device of claim 3, wherein the primary ceramic particles comprise zirconia, ceria, alumina crystalline particles and mixture thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The filtering device of claim 4, wherein the zirconia particles are doped with structural stabilizers and sintering promoters (M) at an atomic ratio of M/Zr in a range of 1/99 to 25/75. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The filtering device of claim 5, wherein the structural stabilizers and sintering promoters (M) comprise yttrium oxide, nickel oxide, iron oxide, cobalt oxide, manganese oxide, silicone oxide, silicates, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The filtering device of claim 4, wherein the ceria particles are doped with structural stabilizers and sintering promoters (M) at an atomic ratio of M/Zr in a range of 1/99 to 25/75. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The filtering device of claim 7, wherein the structural stabilizers and sintering promoters (M) comprise alkaline earth metal oxide, rare earth metal oxide, nickel oxide, iron oxide, cobalt oxide, manganese oxide, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet is sintered at temperatures in a range of 500 to 1000° C. in a non-oxidizing gas environment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The filtering device of claim 9, wherein the non-oxidizing gas environment comprises hydrogen, nitrogen, or their mixture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The filtering device of claim 3, wherein the porous ceramic membrane layer comprises surface pores having a size in a range of 50 to 200 nm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The filtering device of claim 3, wherein the porous ceramic membrane layer has surface pore sizes in a range of 10 to 50 nm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The filtering device of claim 3, wherein the porous ceramic membrane layer has surface pore sizes in a range of 2 to 10 nm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one feed channel comprises a straight channel with a hydraulic diameter less than 1 mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel for discharge of the permeate comprises a straight channel with a hydraulic diameter less than 1 mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet is hydrophobic. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises gas or air. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises liquid or water. ### Claim 19 A filtering device for removal of particulate matters having a size less than five micrometers and adsorbable species from a fluid comprising: at least one feed channel configured to introduce a feed fluid to a membrane surface; at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet having a thickness in a range of 20 to 200 μm and a porosity in a range of 20 to 60%, wherein less than 20% of the surface pores of the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet have a size greater than 10 μm; at least one adsorbent material distributed over a membrane area at a thickness about 20 μm to about 10 mm to take up the adsorbable species from the fluid permeated through the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet; at least one channel for discharge of permeate away from the at least one thin porous metal-based membrane sheet and adsorbent material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one feed channel comprises a straight channel with a hydraulic diameter in a range from about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel for discharge of the permeate comprises a straight channel with a hydraulic diameter in a range from about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm.