US 5,415,768 A · Flow-through capacitor

Abstract

A flow-through capacitor and a controlled charge chromatography column system using the capacitor for the purification of a fluid-containing material, which column comprises an inlet for a fluid to be purified and an outlet for the discharge of the purified fluid, and a flow-through capacitor disposed within the column. The flow-through capacitor comprises a plurality of spirally-wound, stacked washer or rods to include a first electrically conductive backing layer, such as of graphite, and a first high surface area conductive layer secured to one side of the backing layer, such as carbon fibers, and a second high surface area conductive layer secured to the opposite side of the backing layer, the high surface area material layers arranged to face each other and separated by a nonconductive, ion-permeable spacer layer to insulate electrically the backing and conductive layer. The system includes a DC power source to charge the respective conductive layers with different polarities whereby a fluid-containing material passing through the column is purified by the electrically conductive, high surface area stationary phase and the retention thereof onto the high surface area layer and permitting, for example, the purification of aqueous solutions of liquids, such as salt, and providing for the recovery of a purified liquid.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A flow-through electrical capacitor having at least one anode and cathode pair and adapted for use in a housing as a cartridge for use in the electrical separation of fluids containing ionic components, which capacitor comprises:

a) an ionically permeable, electrically insulating spacer material layer to permit the flow of ions therethrough and into contact with the anode and the cathode;
b) a porous, first high surface area, electrically conductive material layer to act as a stationary phase anode;
c) a porous, second high surface area, electrically conductive material layer to act as a stationary phase cathode;
d) the first and second high surface area, electrically conductive material layers disposed to face each other externally on either side of the spacer material;
e) a first electrically conductive backing material layer:
f) a second electrically conductive backing material layer;
g) the first and second electrically conductive backing material layers disposed externally and in electrical contact respectively with the first and second high surface area, electrically conductive material layers;
and
h) electrical lead means adapted to connect the first backing and conductive material layer as an anode and the second backing and conductive material layer as a cathode to a source of electrical power.

6 more elements

A spiral wound, flow-through capacitor cartridge adapted for use in the separation of a liquid containing ionic components, which spiral wound capacitor comprises:

a) a central, electrically-insulating, porous tube having an inlet or an outlet, or both, for the passage of a liquid;
b) a plurality of separate layers spirally wound about the central tube to form a capacitor and which layers comprise:
i) an anode first and second porous, high surface area, electrically conductive material layers as stationary phases, each having a surface area of greater than about 1000 m.sup.2 /g, and each composed of an activated carbon material;
ii) a first electrically conductive, porous backing material layer composed of a metal foil or graphite foil material, and having an integral electrical lead therefrom, and disposed in electrical contact with and between the first and second high surface area material layers to form an anode;
iii) a first electrically-nonconductive, porous spacer material;
iv) a cathode first and second porous, high surface area, electrically conductive material layers as stationary phases, each having a surface area of greater than about 1000 m.sup.2 /g and each composed of an activated carbon material;
v) a second electrically conductive, porous backing material later composed of a metal foil or graphite foil material, and having an integral electrical lead therefrom, and disposed in electrical contact with and between the first and second high surface area material layers to form an anode;
vi) a second electrically-nonconductive, porous spacer material;
and
vii) the first spacer material separating layer facing adjacent the spiral wound, high surface area layers;
and
c) means to retain the spiral wound layers about the central tube.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flow-through capacitor

Life of this patent

Flow-through capacitor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36