# US 2021/0275970 A1 · Formed sheet membrane element and filtration system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2021/0275970 A1
- Document ID: US20210275970A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/325,452
- Filed: 2021-05-20
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-20
- Assignees: Fibracast Ltd.
- Applicants: Fibracast Ltd.
- Inventors: Ionel John TOMESCU; Rafael SIMON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210275970A1

## CPC

- B01D 61/18: Apparatus therefor
- B01D 63/081: {Manufacturing thereof}
- B01D 67/0013: {Casting processes}
- B01D 69/06: Flat membranes
- B29C 53/24: of plates or sheets
- B29C 65/4815: {Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives}
- B29C 65/483: {Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives}
- B29C 66/112: {Single lapped joints}
- B29C 66/131: {Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area}
- B29C 66/1312: {Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid (the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133)}
- B29C 66/5414: {said substantially flat extra element being rigid, e.g. a plate (B29C66/5416 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/543: {joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles}
- B29C 66/547: {Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles, e.g. endless tubes}
- B29C 66/63: {Internally supporting the article during joining (B29C66/49 takes precedence)}
- B01D 2315/06: Submerged-type; Immersion type
- B01D 2323/42: Details of membrane preparation apparatus
- B29C 65/06: using friction, e.g. spin welding {(non-plastics elements to plastic elements B29C65/645)}
- B29C 65/08: using ultrasonic vibrations {(non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645)}
- B29C 65/16: Laser beams
- B29C 65/168: {placed at the interface}
- B29C 65/526: {by printing or by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the adhesive, e.g. using brushes, pads, rollers, stencils or silk screens}
- B29C 66/21: {said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29C 66/7294: {Non woven mats, e.g. felt}
- B29C 66/934: {by controlling or regulating the speed}
- B29L 2031/14: Filters {(optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737)}
- B29L 2031/601: {Multi-tubular articles, i.e. composed of a plurality of tubes (hollow-walled B29L2024/00)}
- B29L 2031/755: {Membranes, diaphragms}
- C02F 1/442: {by nanofiltration}
- C02F 1/444: {by ultrafiltration or microfiltration}
- 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)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- 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

A piece of substrate material is formed under heat and pressure by a roller against a cavity or platen into a shaped substrate sheet having one or more depressions. Two substrate sheets are bonded together to form a substrate wherein the one or more depressions form one or more interior channels. The substrate is coated with a dope in a casting device having a guide portion corresponding to the shape of the substrate sheets and quenched to form a filtering membrane.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for coating a permeate sheet having protrusions formed on the permeate sheet, the process comprising the steps of,
a) locating the permeate sheet relative to a coating knife, the coating knife having a pattern corresponding to the permeate sheet;
b) providing generally equal amounts of a dope simultaneously to both sides of the permeate sheet; and,
c) drawing the permeate sheet through the coating knife at a controlled speed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the permeate sheet is drawn through the coating knife at a generally constant speed and the flow of dope is at a generally constant rate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the permeate sheet is drawn from the coating knife through an air gap to a bath and the length of the air gap is selected to give a desired residence time at the constant speed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 comprising forming two embossed sheets and bonding the embossed sheets together to form the permeate sheet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 wherein the embossed sheets are sheets of non-woven fabric.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 wherein the embossed sheets are formed by a process including heating them to above a heat deflection temperature of the embossed sheets.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 comprising passing the permeate sheet through a coating device, wherein the coating device defines a slot adapted to receive the permeate sheet, the coating device comprising a guide section configured to engage the protrusions, one or more dope outlets and a coating knife.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the coating device comprises two dope outlets and a metering system adapted to feed dope through the dope outlets to both sides of the substrate at an essentially equal pressure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein the one or more dope outlets are located between the guide section and the coating knife.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the coating device comprises a metering system adapted to supply dope to the one or more dope outlets at a controlled rate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the coating device comprises a drive bar adapted to pull a substrate through the coating device at a selected speed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the coating device comprises a dope pump separated from the one or more dope outlets by a valve.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the coating device comprises a controller adapted to
a) generally simultaneously start a flow of dope and movement of the membrane substrate at a selected rate through the coating knife; and,
b) stop the flow of dope before the membrane substrate leaves the coating device.