Apparatus and process for membrane filtration
AssigneeHoechst Aktiengesellschaft
InventorWolfram Saupe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of membrane filtration of a liquid and an apparatus for carrying out such a method, the apparatus comprising at least two support members including a first and a last support member of porous material arranged in series each support member including a plurality of liquid flow passageways therethrough, whereby liquid flow from the inlet means to the outlet means is possible; inlet means for admitting a liquid to be filtered to the first support member; outlet means for withdrawing a concentrate from the last support member; a semipermeable membrane covering all surfaces of the support members in contact with the liquid; means for providing that flow of liquid from one support means to the next is only via the passageways; and means associated with each support member for withdrawing permeate from therewithin.
Claims44
An apparatus for carrying out membrane filtration of a liquid, which comprises:
- a. at least two disc-shaped support members including a first and a last support member of porous material arranged in series and including an open space axially therebetween, each support member having a diameter which is large in relation to its thickness and including a plurality of liquid flow passageways therethrough wherein the liquid flow passageways of each support member are displaced with respect to those in each adjacent support member;
- b. inlet means for admitting a liquid to be filtered to the first support member;
- c. outlet means for withdrawing a concentrate from the last support member whereby liquid flow from said inlet means to said outlet means is possible;
- d. a semipermeable membrane covering all surfaces of said support members in contact with the liquid, including the surfaces of said passageways and the axial end surfaces of said support members;
- e. means for providing that flow of liquid from one support means to the next is only via the passageways;
- and
- f. means associated with each support member for withdrawing permeate therewithin.
A process for the membrane filtration of a liquid, comprising the steps of causing a liquid to flow through an assembly comprising at least two disc-shaped support members of porous material arranged in series and including an open space axially therebetween, each support member having a diameter which is large in relation to its thickness and including a plurality of liquid flow passageways therethrough wherein the liquid flow passageways of each support member are displaced with respect to those in each adjacent support member, the liquid entering through an inlet to the first support member and flowing along a path constituted by the plurality of passageways through each support member, whereby the direction of liquid flow is caused to change in each of said spaces to achieve more effective contact with support members, every part of the surface of each support member coming into contact with the liquid being covered with a semipermeable membrane, whereby permeate gains access to the porous material of the support members, collecting the permeate from within the porous material of each support member and collecting the concentrate at an outlet from the last support member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.