Hollow fiber membrane contactor
AssigneeMykrolis Corporation
InventorsKwok-Shun Cheng, Cha P. Doh
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Abstract
A fully perfluorinated thermoplastic hollow fiber membrane fluid-fluid contactor and a process for manufacturing the contactor is described. The contactor has a unitary end structure produced by a single step potting and bonding process. The contactor can be operated with low surface tension liquids and in harsh chemical environments.
Claims12
A perfluorinated housing useful for forming a fluid-fluid phase contactor substantially made from perfluorinated thermoplastic polymer for contacting a first fluid with a second fluid comprising:
- (a) a container having an inner wall and an outer wall wherein the inner wall defines a fluid flow volume,
- (b) said container having a fluid inlet having a first inner surface, and a fluid outlet having a second inner surface, and
- (c) said first inner surface and said second inner surface being intermixed with a perfluorinated thermoplastic potting compound having a lower melting point than said first inner surface and than said second inner surface.
The process of forming a perfluorinated housing useful for forming a fluid-fluid phase contactor substantially made from perfluorinated thermoplastic polymer for contacting a first fluid with a second fluid comprising:
- (a) a container having an inner wall and an outer wall wherein the inner wall defines a fluid flow volume,
- (b) said container having a fluid inlet having a first inner surface, and a fluid outlet having a second inner surface, and
- (c) said first inner surface and said second inner surface being intermixed with a perfluorinated thermoplastic potting compound having a lower melting point than said first inner surface and than said second inner surface which comprises,
- heating said inner wall and said outer wall to render said walls thermoplastic,
- contacting said thermoplastic walls with said potting compound in powdered form,
- and cooling said thermoplastic walls to fuse said potting compound to said walls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.