Method of creating greater adhesion between asymmetric PVDF active layer and PEI fiber support to obtain multilayer janus membrane
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsTurki Nabieh Baroud, Mohammed Abdul Azeem, Aminu Doguwa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multilayer Janus membrane with directional wettability includes a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer, a polyetherimide (PEI) layer and an intermediate layer of copper oxide nanoparticles and vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-HFP) or polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The intermediate layer is in contact between the PVDF layer and the PEI layer, and the PEI fibers interlock between the granular particles of the intermediate layer.
Claims20
A multilayer Janus membrane, comprising:
- a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer;
- a polyetherimide (PEI) layer, comprising a plurality of PEI fibers;
- and
- an intermediate layer, comprising copper oxide nanoparticles and at least one polymer selected from vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-HFP) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN),
- wherein the intermediate layer comprises a plurality of granular particles, and is in contact and between the PVDF layer and the PEI layer, and
- wherein the PEI fibers interlock between the granular particles of the intermediate layer.
A method of fabricating a multilayer Janus membrane having a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer, an intermediate layer and a polyetherimide (PEI) layer, comprising:
- forming a PVDF solution comprising PVDF in the form of powder, lithium chloride and dimethylformamide;
- casting the PVDF solution on a sandpaper substrate to form a PVDF coated sandpaper;
- immersing the PVDF coated sandpaper in a mixture of water and isopropanol to form a PVDF membrane coated sandpaper having a PVDF layer with a non-textured surface on the top and a textured surface in contact with the sandpaper substrate;
- electrospraying an intermediate solution comprising dimethylformamide, copper oxide nanoparticles and at least one polymer selected from vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-HFP) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) onto the non-textured surface of the PVDF membrane, followed by isolating a two layer membrane from the sandpaper substrate;
- mounting the two-layer membrane coated sandpaper onto a rotating drum having an aluminum foil substrate, wherein the textured surface of the PVDF is in contact with the aluminum foil substrate;
- electrospinning a plurality of PEI fibers from a PEI solution onto the two-layer membrane to form a three-layer membrane, wherein the PEI solution comprises PEI and N-methyl-pyrrolidone;
- and
- drying the three-layer membrane to form the multilayer Janus membrane.
A method of water membrane distillation, comprising:
- flowing a saline solution through a multilayer Janus membrane,
- wherein the saline solution comprises saline at a concentration of 1 to 70,000 ppm, and
- wherein the multilayer Janus membrane comprises a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer, a polyetherimide (PEI) layer, and an intermediate layer comprising copper oxide nanoparticles and at least one polymer selected from vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-HFP) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN);
- thereby
- absorbing saline on the multilayer Janus membrane to form a filtered water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.