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US 8,617,394 B2Granted
Asymmetric nanotube containing membranes
AssigneeNagare Membranes, LLC
InventorsTimothy V. Ratto, Jason K. Holt, Alan W. Szmodis
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Abstract
This invention relates to heterogenous pore polymer nanotube membranes useful in filtration, such as reverse osmosis desalination, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and gas separation.
Claims19
A filter, comprising:
- a porous polymer terminating on one side in a polymer skin, wherein the porous polymer and the polymer skin comprise the same polymer;
- and
- open-ended nanotubes embedded in the polymer skin, at least a portion of the nanotubes each having two open ends protruding through opposite surfaces respectively of the polymer skin to provide fluid communication through each of the nanotubes;
- wherein the polymer skin forms a substantially impermeable barrier around the nanotubes;
- and
- wherein the porous polymer has pores increasing in diameter with increasing distance from the polymer skin.
3 more elements
A filter, comprising:
- an asymmetric porous polymer terminating on one side in a skin;
- and
- open-ended nanotubes embedded in the skin and protruding through opposite surfaces of the skin to provide fluid communication through each of the nanotubes;
- wherein the skin forms a substantially impermeable barrier around the nanotubes, and the polymer has pores increasing in diameter with increasing distance from the skin.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.