Charge mosaic membrane, its production process, method of its use, and apparatus provided with the same

#a) Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to a charge mosaic membrane permitting permeation of an electrolyte therethrough, a process for the production of the charge mosaic membrane, a method of use of the charge mosaic membrane, and an apparatus provided with the charge mosaic membrane.

#b) Description of the Related Art

#FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a dialyzer as one example of an apparatus making use of a charge mosaic membrane according to the present invention; and

#FIG. 2 is a graph showing dialytic separation performance of a charge mosaic membrane of Example 1.

#The charge mosaic membrane according to the present invention is characterized in that the cationic and anionic polymer components (which may hereinafter be called the “charged polymer components”), said charged polymer components forming domains of the membrane, are the crosslinked particulate polymers, respectively, and that its matrix component is composed of at least one polymer selected from the polysulfone resin, the polyarylate resin, the polyamide resin, the polyimide resin, the polyamideimide resin, the polyurethane resin, the fluorinated resin or the silicone resin.

#The production process of the charge mosaic membrane is characterized in that the membrane is formed using both of the charged polymer components in the form of the composition in which they are dispersed in the solution of at least one polymer—which is selected as the matrix component from the polysulfone resin, the polyarylate resin, the polyamide resin, the polyimide resin, the polyamideimide resin, the polyurethane resin, the fluorinated resin or the silicone resin—in the organic solvent. Incidentally, the preferred average particle size of each of the charged polymer components which make up the charge mosaic membrane in the present invention may be in a range of from 0.01 to 20 μm, preferably in a range of from 0.02 to 10 μm.

#Examples of charged polymer components usable in the present invention can include, as cationic polymer components, polymers containing cationic groups such as primary to tertiary amino groups, quaternary ammonium groups or pyridinium groups or groups of salts thereof and as anionic polymer components, polymers containing anionic groups such as sulfonic groups, carboxylic groups, sulfate ester groups or phosphate ester groups or groups of salts thereof.