Polymer membranes for separation processes
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsGeorge H. Beall, Kishor P. Gadkaree, Thomas P. Grandi, Candace J. Quinn
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Abstract
Semi-permeable microporous polymer bodies, such as porous plates or membranes for separation processes, are provided, these being made of durable high-temperature thermoplastics, eg., a liquid crystal polymer, by a process comprising melt-mixing the polymer with high loadings of leachable glass and then leaching the glass from the polymer to leave a continuous relict polymer network, the network typically demonstrating pore volumes of 50 percent or more and average pore diameters in the 0.1-10 micron range.
Claims9
A semi-permeable microporous polymer body having a pore volume of at least about 50 volume percent and a mean pore diameter in the range of about 0.1-10 microns which is composed at least predominantly of a high-temperature polymer selected from the group consisting of polyether ketones, poly(aryl ether) ketones, polyether-ether ketones, liquid crystal polymers, polysulfones, polyether imides, and mixtures, copolymers, or other combinations thereof, said body being made by a method comprising
- (i) melt-mixing a batch mixture comprising the high-temperature polymer and a finely divided leachable glass to form a two-phase glass-polymer blend comprising a continuous polymer network and an intercommunicating glass phase;
- (ii) forming the blend into a glass-polymer body of a selected shape;
- and
- (iii) leaching the intercommunicating glass phase from the glass-polymer body without disruption of the continuous polymer network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.