Apparatus and method for roll-to-roll membrane manufacture
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDean David MARSCHKE, Brian J. RUDIE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roll-to-roll process and apparatus is disclosed for treatment of a membrane substrate. The apparatus and process processes the membrane substrate in a forward direction using one or more treatment solutions, and then processes the membrane substrate in a reverse direction using other treatment solutions. The treatment solutions used in the forward and reverse directions are preferably chosen so that the treatment sequence is the same in both directions. In this manner, the membrane substrate can accumulate reaction time by repeated processing in forward and reverse directions. t,?
Claims21
An apparatus for continuous roll-to-roll processing of a membrane substrate with a first treating solution, a second treating solution, and a third treating solution, the apparatus comprising:
- a first roll and a second roll, the membrane substrate being windable and unwindable on both the first and second rolls to process the membrane substrate in a forward direction and a reverse direction;
- the first treating solution for treating the membrane substrate as the membrane substrate is processed in the forward direction but not in the reverse direction;
- the second treating solution for treating the membrane substrate as the membrane substrate is processed in the reverse direction but not in the forward direction;
- and
- the third treating solution for treating the membrane substrate as the membrane substrate is processed in both the forward and the reverse directions.
An apparatus for continuous roll-to-roll processing of a membrane substrate with a plurality of treating solutions, the apparatus comprising:
- a first roll and a second roll, the membrane substrate being windable and unwindable on both the first and second rolls,
- the plurality of treating solutions each being changeable between a treating configuration and a non-treating configuration for independently treating the membrane substrate as the membrane substrate is processed in a forward direction or in a reverse direction,
- wherein the membrane substrate is treatable with a first subset of the plurality of treating solutions and not treatable with a second subset of the plurality of treating solutions when first subset of the plurality of treating solutions is in the treating configuration and the second subset of the plurality of treating solutions is in the non-treating configuration,
- wherein the membrane substrate is treatable with the second subset of the plurality of treating solutions and not treatable with the first subset of the plurality of treating solutions when the second subset of the plurality of treating solutions is in the treating configuration and the first subset of the plurality of treating solutions is in the non-treating configuration, and
- wherein the membrane substrate is treatable with a third subset of the plurality of treating solutions when the third subset of the plurality of treating solutions is in the treating configuration.
A method of treating a membrane substrate with a plurality of treating solutions in a roll-to-roll process, the method comprising:
- processing the membrane substrate in a forward direction by treating the membrane substrate with a first subset of the plurality of treating solutions and not treating the membrane substrate with a second subset of the plurality of treating solutions;
- processing the membrane substrate in a reverse direction by treating the membrane substrate with the second subset of the plurality of treating solutions and not treating the membrane substrate with the first subset of the plurality of treating solutions;
- and
- processing the membrane substrate in forward and reverse directions by treating the membrane substrate with a third subset of the plurality of treating solutions.
An apparatus for continuous roll-to-roll processing of a membrane substrate with at least one treating solution, the apparatus comprising:
- a first roll and a second roll, the membrane substrate being windable and unwindable on both the first and second rolls;
- the at least one treating solution for treating the membrane substrate as the membrane substrate is processed in a forward direction, in a reverse direction, or in both the forward and the reverse direction.
A method of treating a membrane substrate with a treating solution in a roll-to-roll process, the method comprising:
- processing the membrane substrate in a forward direction by treating the membrane substrate with the treating solution while unwinding the membrane substrate from a first roll to a second roll;
- rewinding the treated membrane substrate from the second roll back to the first roll;
- and
- processing the treated membrane substrate in a forward direction by treating the treated membrane substrate with the treating solution while unwinding the treated membrane substrate from the first roll to the second roll.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.