Synthesis of inorganic membranes
AssigneeInrad, Inc.
InventorsJames R. Fehlner, Warren Ruderman, Zhenyu Zhang
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Abstract
Inorganic membranes such as zeolite membranes or other molecular sieve membranes can be provided by using silicone polymer material as starting material. A thin film zeolite membrane or a thin film membrane formed of interlocking zeolite crystals can be provided. Water soluble or water insoluble silicones can be treated in a basic solution under conditions and with an appropriate structure directing template, suitable aluminum content and at a temperature that is appropriate for growing a desired inorganic crystal framework. The continuous thin film membranes or interlocking crystal membranes can be formed on the sides of a reaction vessel, on the surface of the solution or on the surfaces of substrates introduced into the vessel.
Claims51
A method of forming an inorganic membrane of crystalline inorganic material that can change the composition of fluid contacting the membrane, comprising the steps of:
- providing a quantity of polyalkylsiloxane silicone material;
- placing the silicone material in intimate contact with an aqueous solution comprising an effective amount of a selected structure determining template material to direct the formation of a desired inorganic crystalline material and an effective amount of an aqueous basic solution of an effective strength for initiating a chemical reaction of the silicone material into inorganic material;
- and heating the aqueous solution containing silicone, base and structure determining template material to a temperature of about 90.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C. for sufficient time to permit the silicone material to undergo molecular rearrangement into crystalline inorganic material.
A method of forming zeolite material, comprising the steps of intimately combining an aqueous basic solution, structure determining template material selected to promote the formation of zeolite material and silicone polymer material and heating the combination at a temperature between about 100.degree. C. and about 200.degree. C. for over four hours under conditions to form zeolite material in the form of one of interlocking zeolite crystals and a continuous zeolite thin film.
A method of forming crystalline molecular sieve material, comprising providing in intimate contact, a quantity of silicone material, an aqueous basic solution of an effective strength for initiating a chemical reaction of the silicone material into inorganic material and a structure determining template material selected from the group consisting of sodium ions, amines, salts of amines, TPA-Br and combinations thereof for causing the inorganic material to have a molecular sieve structure and reacting the silicone material, base and template material with heat at a temperature from about 100.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. for over four hours to chemically convert the silicone material into crystalline molecular sieve material.
An inorganic membrane that can change the composition of fluid contacting the membrane, formed by the steps, comprising combining and reacting silicone material with a basic solution and structure determining template material, with heat, to form a layer of inorganic material and forming a membrane from the layer of inorganic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.