Film degassing system
AssigneeSystec, Inc.
InventorsYuri Gerner, Carl W. Sims
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow-through vacuum degassing unit for degassing a mobile phase in liquid chromatography applications includes a relatively flat self-supporting thin membrane disposed in a compact degassing component, whereby the thin membrane is gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable to selectively degas a mobile phase. The self-supporting thin membrane is disposed on a permeable substrate through which a vacuum is drawn by a connected vacuum source. In a particular embodiment, the self-supporting membrane may be directly cast on the permeable substrate through a solvent-free thermal process.
Claims14
A degassing system, comprising:
- a degassing component having a degassing chamber therewithin, such a chamber being divided into first and second portions by a self-supporting film, said film being cast into the chamber without support structures as a gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane, and fluid inlet and outlet channels in fluid communication with the first portion, with the second portion being accessible from a vacuum source.
A method for creating a membrane degassing system, comprising:
- a) solvating perfluorinated copolymer in a solvent to form a first solution;
- b) drying said first solution to form a first membrane layer;
- c) solvating additional volume of perfluorinated copolymer in a solvent to form a second solution;
- d) heating said second solution to a gel state;
- e) coating said gel on a permeable substrate;
- f) pressing said first membrane layer against an upper surface of said gel such that said gel is disposed between said first membrane layer and said permeable substrate;
- and
- g) drying said gel, such that mechanical bonding is created between said first membrane layer and said permeable substrate to thereby form a self-supporting film disposed on said permeable substrate.
A method for casting a self-supporting membrane in a degassing apparatus, comprising:
- a) heating perfluorinated copolymer to a temperature higher than its corresponding glass-transition temperature to create a molten copolymer;
- b) placing said molten copolymer on an upper surface of a permeable substrate;
- and
- c) allowing said molten copolymer to cool, thereby forming said self-supporting membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.