# US 4,393,113 A · Novel silicon-containing copolymer, ultrathin solid membrane composed of said copolymer, use of said solid membrane for concentrating a specified gas in a gaseous mixture, and process for producing said solid membrane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,393,113 A - Document ID: US4393113A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/270,128 - Filed: 1981-06-03 - Granted: 1983-07-12 - Earliest claimed: 1980-06-05 - Assignees: Teitin Limited - Inventors: Kiyoshi Sugie; Takeyoshi Yamada; Teizo Yamaji - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393113A ## CPC - B01D 71/44: Polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, not provided for in a single one of groups B01D71/26-B01D71/42 - C08F 230/085: {the monomer being a polymerisable silane, e.g. (meth)acryloyloxy trialkoxy silanes or vinyl trialkoxysilanes} - Y10T 428/261: In terms of molecular thickness or light wave length - Y10T 428/31663: As siloxane, silicone or silane - 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) - C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An ultrathin solid membrane is composed substantially of a silicon-containing copolymer consisting substantially of recurring units derived from a silicon-containing allyl monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated monomer and/or a diene monomer. The ultrathin solid membrane is useful for obtaining a specified gas, such as oxygen, in a concentrated state, from a mixture of two or more gases, such as air. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrathin solid membrane capable of producing a concentrated gas from a mixture of two or more gases, especially for obtaining an oxygen-enriched gas from a gaseous mixture containing oxygen gas, said solid membrane having a thickness of from about 50 to about 3,000 A and being composed substantially of a film-forming silicon-containing copolymer consisting substantially of (a) at least one recurring unit of the following formula ##STR11## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are identical or different, and each represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group which may be substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and (b) at least one additional recurring unit selected from recurring units of the formula (II-1) and (II-2): ##STR12## wherein R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and R.sup.5 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group which may be substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and ##STR13## wherein R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are identical or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, a chlorine atom, or a methyl group, the proportion of said recurring unit of formula (I) being about 5 to about 95 mole% based on the total recurring units of the silicon-containing copolymer and said silicon-containing copolymer having an inherent viscosity, measured at 25.degree. C. for a solution of 0.5 g of the copolymer in 100 cc of cyclohexane, of about 0.5 to about 4.0. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solid membrane of claim 1 wherein in the recurring unit of formula (I), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different alkyl groups having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R.sup.3 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The solid membrane of claim 1 wherein in the recurring unit of formula (I), all of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are methyl groups. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2) The solid membrane of any one of claims 1, 2, or 3 which consists substantially of the recurring unit of formula (I) and the recurring unit of formula (II-1). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The solid membrane of claim 4 wherein in the recurring unit of formula (II-1), R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and R.sup.5 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The solid membrane of claim 4 wherein in the recurring unit of formula (II-1), R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, and R.sup.5 is an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The solid membrane of claim 4 wherein in the recurring unit of formula (II-1), R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, and R.sup.5 is a butyl, pentyl or hexyl group. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The solid membrane of claim 1 wherein the recurring unit of formula (II-2) is present and R.sup.6 is a hydrogen atom and R.sup.7 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The solid membrane of claim 1 wherein the proportion of the recurring unit of formula (I) is about 20 to about 80 mole% based on the entire recurring units of the silicon-containing copolymer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The solid membrane of claim 1 wherein said silicon-containing copolymer is prepared by copolymerizing a silicon-containing allyl monomer of the formula ##STR14## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined above, and at least one additional unsaturated monomer selected from the group consisting of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer of the formula R.sup.4 --CH.dbd.CH--R.sup.5 (II- 1-m) wherein R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are as defined above, and a diene unsaturated monomer of the formula ##STR15## wherein R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are as defined above, in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst in an aprotic inert solvent at a temperature of about 10.degree. to about 120.degree. C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The solid membrane of claim 1 which is carried on a porous sheet-like material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A composite film membrane comprising a porous sheet-like material supporting thereon a laminate of the ultrathin solid membrane of claim 1 and another solid membrane able to separate gases, said laminate having a total thickness in the range of about 50 to about 5,000 A. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The composite film of claim 12 wherein the other solid membrane is an ultrathin solid membrane of poly(4-methylpentene-1).