Graphene membrane laminated to porous woven or nonwoven support

A method of preparing a composite membrane, comprising:

• contacting a second surface of a porous graphene layer to a first surface of an adherent polymer or a thermo-formable polymer, wherein a first surface of the porous graphene layer is configured in contact with a growth substrate;
• removing the porous graphene layer together with the adherent polymer from the growth substrate to form the composite membrane or heating the first surface of the porous graphene layer and the thermo-formable polymer above a glass transition temperature;
• contacting the first surface or the second surface of the porous graphene layer to a surface of a porous support substrate to form the composite membrane,
• wherein the surface of the porous support substrate includes at least one of:
• the first surface of the adherent polymer, a thermo-formable polymer characterized by a glass transition temperature, a woven fibrous membrane, and/or a nonwoven fibrous membrane;
• and
• heating the porous graphene layer and the adherent polymer above the glass transition temperature while contacting the second surface of the porous graphene layer to the first surface of the adherent polymer.

A system for manufacturing a composite membrane, the system comprising:

• an adherent polymer source;
• a polymer film manipulator;
• a sample manipulator
• a heater;
• a temperature sensor;
• a porous support source;
• and
• a controller coupled to one or more of the adherent polymer source, the polymer film manipulator, and the porous support source, wherein the controller is configured by machine-executable instructions to:
• control the adherent polymer source and the sample manipulator effective to contact a first surface of an adherent polymer to a second surface of a porous graphene layer, the porous graphene layer having a first surface that contacts a growth substrate;
• control the porous support source effective to provide a porous support substrate;
• control the polymer film manipulator effective to contact the surface of the porous support substrate to the first surface of the porous graphene layer or the second surface of the adherent polymer, remove the porous graphene layer together with the adherent polymer from the growth substrate, and remove the adherent polymer from the porous graphene layer to form the composite membrane;
• control the porous support source effective to provide a porous support substrate;
• control the polymer film manipulator effective to contact the first surface or the second surface of the porous graphene layer to a surface of the porous support substrate to form the composite membrane, wherein the surface of the porous support substrate includes at least one of:
• the first surface of the adherent polymer, a thermo-formable polymer characterized by a glass transition temperature, a woven fibrous membrane, or a nonwoven fibrous membrane;
• and
• control the heater and the temperature sensor to heat one of the adherent polymer, the thermo-formable polymer, the woven fibrous membrane, or the nonwoven fibrous membrane over a glass transition temperature;
• control the sample manipulator and the polymer film manipulator to:
• contact the surface of the porous support substrate to the first surface of the porous graphene layer or the second surface of the adherent polymer;
• remove the adherent polymer from the porous graphene layer to form the composite membrane;
• and
• contact the adherent polymer onto the woven fibrous membrane or the nonwoven fibrous membrane.