# US 2013/0153490 A1 · Hollow fibre membrane with compatible reinforcements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153490 A1 - Document ID: US20130153490A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/328,761 - Filed: 2011-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Bl Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Steven Kristian PEDERSEN; Pierre Lucien COTE; Jinhua BAI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153490A1 ## CPC - B01D 69/08: Hollow fibre membranes (manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08) - B01D 69/085: {Details relating to the spinneret} - B01D 71/34: Polyvinylidene fluoride - B29C 48/05: Filamentary, e.g. strands - B29C 48/08: flexible, e.g. films - B29C 48/11: comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped - B01D 2323/42: Details of membrane preparation apparatus - B01D 2325/40: Fibre reinforced membranes - B29C 48/919: {using a bath, e.g. extruding into an open bath to coagulate or cool the material} - 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) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) ## Abstract A process of making a reinforced hollow fiber membrane comprises flowing a membrane dope through a casting head while drawing one or more yarns or tows of filaments through the casting head. The filaments are spread apart in the casting head, for example by forcing the yarns or tows around a bend or through a narrow gap in the casting head. The filaments are adapted to bond to the membrane dope or the membrane wall. A reinforced hollow fiber membrane comprises a plurality of filaments individually surrounded by, and bonded to, the membrane wall. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hollow fiber membrane comprising, a) a membrane wall formed from a membrane dope; and, b) one or more tows of filaments embedded in the membrane wall; wherein the filaments are made, at least in part, of a polymer that is adapted to bond to the membrane dope or the membrane wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer is provided in a sheath around a core of the filament, and the core is made of a different polymer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer is soluble in a solvent used in the membrane dope. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer is a polymer that is also present in the membrane dope. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer is PVDF. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer is PES. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a melt temperature below the temperature of a TIPS dope used to form the membrane wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a surface treated to promote bonding. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The membrane of claim 5 wherein the filaments have a core of PET or co-PET. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein the membrane wall surrounds and is bonded to the filaments. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein at least most of the filaments extend continuously from one end to the other of a segment of the membrane that is at least 1 meter long and the filaments are generally parallel to each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The membrane of claim 1 wherein a cylindrical bundle of the filaments has a diameter that is greater than the thickness of the membrane wall. ### Claim 13 A process of making a reinforced hollow fiber membrane comprising the steps of, a) flowing a membrane dope through a casting head; b) drawing one or more yarns or tows of filaments through the casting head; and, c) forcing the one or more yarns or tows around at least one bend in the casting head, or through at least one gap in the casting head that is narrower than a cylindrical bundle of the filaments. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the filaments comprise a core of a first polymer and a sheath of a second polymer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process of claim 14 comprising a step of heat setting the filaments before step b). ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein step a) comprises providing dope in a first zone of the casting head in which a tow travels in a trough upstream of a die, and providing dope in a second zone in communication with the die. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 further comprising a step of providing a bore fluid to a lumen of the membrane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The process of claim 14 wherein the second polymer is a polymer also provided in the dope. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The process of claim 18 wherein the first polymer comprises PET. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein a cylindrical bundle of the filaments has a diameter that is greater than the thickness of the membrane wall. ### Claim 21 A reinforced hollow fiber membrane comprising a membrane wall and one or more tows, each tow comprising a plurality of filaments individually surrounded by and bonded to the membrane wall.