Hydrophilic-oleophobic copolymer composition and uses thereof
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsLouisa Ruth Carr, James Manio Silva, Paul Michael Smigelski, Jr., Jason Nichols
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein are copolymers and copolymer compositions that are both hydrophilic and oleophobic. The copolymers include structural units derived from a fluoroalkyl monomer and a zwitterionic monomer. It further relates to membranes formed by coating a porous substrate with the copolymeric compositions. The copolymeric coating imparts hydrophilicity and oleophobicity/oil-tolerance to the membranes. The uses of such membranes as microfiltration membrane or ultrafiltration membrane are also provided.
Claims11
A method of treating a contaminated water comprising:
- providing the contaminated water comprising water and oil;
- providing a membrane comprising a porous substrate and a coating attached to the porous substrate, wherein at least one of the porous substrate or the coating comprises a copolymer comprising 1 to 10 mole % of a structural unit of formula I;
- and 90 to 99 mole % of a structural unit of formula II,
- wherein
- R1 is a linear or branched C1-C30 fluoroalkyl group;
- R2 and R3 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen, or a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl group;
- either R4 and R5 are independently at each occurrence a linear or branched C1-C12 alkyl group, a C5-C12 carbocyclic group, or a C5-C12 heterocyclic group, and R6 and R7 are independently at each occurrence a linear or branched C1-C12 alkylene group, a linear or branched C2-C12 alkenylene group, a linear or branched C2-C12 alkynlene group, a C5-C12 carbocyclic group, or a C5-C12 heterocyclic group, or at least two of R4, R5, R6, or R7 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring containing 5 to 7 atoms;
- X is independently at each occurrence an —O— or —NH—;
- Y is a sulfite group or a carboxylate group;
- and
- m and n are independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 1 to 5;
- and
- passing the contaminated water through the membrane to generate a treated water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.