# US 2014/0197103 A1 · Functionalized Ceramic Membranes for the Separation of Organics from Raw Water and Methods of Filtration Using Functionalized Ceramic Membranes

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- Number: US 2014/0197103 A1
- Document ID: US20140197103A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/084,195
- Filed: 2013-11-19
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-20
- Assignees: Lance Energy Services, LLC
- Applicants: Lance Energy Services, LLC
- Inventors: Waymon R. Votaw; Jacob L. Davis; Edward E. Munson; Andrew Barron; Samuel J. Maguire-Boyle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197103A1

## CPC

- B01D 71/027: {Silicium oxide}
- B01D 61/04: Feed pretreatment
- B01D 63/066: {with a porous block having membrane coated passages}
- B01D 65/08: Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation
- B01D 67/0048: {by sol-gel transition}
- B01D 67/00791: {Different components in separate layers}
- B01D 67/00931: {by introduction of specific groups after membrane formation, e.g. by grafting}
- B01D 69/02: characterised by their properties
- B01D 71/0215: {Silicon carbide; Silicon nitride; Silicon oxycarbide}
- B01D 71/82: characterised by the presence of specified groups, e.g. introduced by chemical after-treatment
- C02F 1/44: by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis {(general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268)}
- C02F 1/444: {by ultrafiltration or microfiltration}
- C02F 1/66: by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58)
- C02F 5/14: containing phosphorus
- B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
- B01D 2311/18: pH control
- B01D 2321/162: Use of acids
- B01D 2321/164: Use of bases
- B01D 2321/168: Use of other chemical agents
- B01D 2323/02: Hydrophilization
- B01D 2323/36: Introduction of specific chemical groups
- B01D 2325/36: Hydrophilic membranes
- C02F 2101/32: Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
- 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)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

Components, systems, and methods for producing highly hydrophilitic, functionalized inorganic filtration membranes, pre-treating organic and biological-containing waste waters for minimal membrane fouling and scaling when processed using such functionalized membranes, and use of such functionalized membranes of the present invention in filtration systems for separating such pre-treated waste waters, all with respect to optimal permeate production rates, purity of permeate and resistance to fouling and scale formation on the membranes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A filtration membrane for separating constituents in multi-constituent fluid comprising:
a filtration membrane having inorganic ceramic surfaces, said ceramic surfaces being processed through steps comprising:
oxidation of said ceramic surfaces for hydroxyl generation;
acidification of said ceramic surfaces for increasing monolayer stability; and
exposing said ceramic surfaces with one or more reactant hydrophilic molecules.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The membrane of claim 1 wherein said inorganic ceramic surfaces are configured substantially of materials selected from a group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), and Si-rich silicon nitride (SiXN4)

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The membrane of claim 1 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include a hydrophilic carboxylic acid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The membrane of claim 2 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include a hydrophilic carboxylic acid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The membrane of claim 1 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include one or more of carboxylic acids, zwiterrionic molecules, phenyl amines, phenyl amidines, and amino pyridines.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The membrane of claim 2 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include one or more of carboxylic acids, zwiterrionic molecules, phenyl amines, phenyl amidines, and amino pyridines.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The membrane of claim 1 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include cysteic acid.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The membrane of claim 2 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include cysteic acid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The membrane of claim 1 wherein said ceramic filtration membrane includes pores of greater than or equal to 0.04 microns.

### Claim 10

A method for separating constituents in a multi-constituent fluid comprising the steps of:
selecting a filtration membrane, said filtration membrane having inorganic ceramic surfaces, said ceramic surfaces being processed through steps comprising:
oxidation of said ceramic surfaces for hydroxyl generation;
acidification of said ceramic surfaces for increasing monolayer stability; and
exposing said ceramic surfaces with one or more reactant hydrophilic molecules;
causing said multi-constituent fluid, at a first flow pressure, to flow in at least temporary contact with an intake side of said filtration membrane, an output side of said filtration membrane being exposed to a second flow pressure that is lower than said first flow pressure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein said inorganic ceramic surfaces are configured substantially of materials selected from a group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), and Si-rich silicon nitride (SiXN4).

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include a hydrophilic carboxylic acid.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include a hydrophilic carboxylic acid.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include one or more of carboxylic acids, zwiterrionic molecules, phenyl amines, phenyl amidines, and amino pyridines.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include one or more of carboxylic acids, zwiterrionic molecules, phenyl amines, phenyl amidines, and amino pyridines.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include cysteic acid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein said reactant hydrophilic molecules include cysteic acid.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps, before causing said flow of said multi-constituent fluid, of:
introducing pH-changing means for changing the pH of said multi-constituent fluid to an undersaturated state relative to scale-producing constituents; and
introducing scale inhibition means for inhibiting the formation of scales on said ceramic surfaces during exercise of said method.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein said scale inhibition means are selected from one or more of phosphates, phosphonates, polyphosphonic acid, acrylates, and polyacrylates.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps, before causing said flow of said multi-constituent fluid, of:
introducing an efficacious measure pH-changing means, relative to a measure of said fluid to be processed through said method, for changing the pH of said multi-constituent fluid to an under-saturated state relative to scale-producing constituents; and
introducing an efficacious measure scale inhibition means, relative to a measure of said fluid to be processed through said method, for inhibiting the formation of scales on said ceramic surfaces during exercise of said method.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein said scale inhibition means are selected from one or more of phosphates, phosphonates, polyphosphonic acid, acrylates, and polyacrylates.