Nanocomposite mixed-matrix membrane
AssigneeKuwait Institute for Scientific Research
InventorShawqui M. Lahalih
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Abstract
The nanocomposite mixed-matrix membrane is a nanocomposite made from a nanofiller of Halloysite nanotubes or polypropylene-grafted maleic anhydride nano-layered silica dispersed or embedded in a hydrophobic polymer matrix. The Halloysite nanotubes are a 1:1 layered alumino-silicate clay having the chemical formula Al2O3 Si2O4 4(H2O)) formed into multi-layered hollow cylinders having walls that are formed from alternating layers of alumina and silica. The membrane is formed by extrusion of the nanocomposite with stretching over rollers during the extrusion, followed by annealing, cold stretching at room temperature, and hot stretching. The resulting membrane is microporous and can be used as a membrane distillation (MD) membrane for seawater and brackish water desalination.
Claims3
A nanocomposite mixed-matrix microporous membrane, consisting of:
- a nanofiller, the nanofiller consisting of Halloysite nanotubes (HNT), wherein Halloysite nanotubes have a percentage loading in the membrane of 15% by weight of the nanocomposite;
- and
- a hydrophobic polymer, wherein the hydrophobic polymer consists of polypropylene, the nanofiller being dispersed in the hydrophobic polymer to form the nanocomposite, the nanocomposite being extruded and stretched during extrusion, the nanocomposite being annealed and subject to both cold stretching and hot stretching after extrusion to form the microporous membrane having micron-size pores, wherein the pores are configured as elongated slits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.