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Sub-sea membrane separation system
PATENTS and/or separating gases and/or liquids, or even for reverse osmosis. Patent number: WO 02/102881 Inventors: J. Kiefer, O. Uensal, J. Baurmeister and F. Jordt Publication date: 27 December 2002
Catalytic membrane reactor Applicant: David Systems & Technology Sl, Spain The patent covers a catalytic membrane reactor. It is composed of a body; a tubular ceramic porous membrane element (used to remove the hydrogen) that is coaxially disposed inside this body; and a catalyst for the thermal decomposition of the hydrogen sulphide into sulphur and hydrogen. According to the invention, a layer of this catalyst is deposited directly on the tubular ceramic porous membrane element. The material can be used to treat gases which contain hydrogen sulphide. Patent number: WO 02/102710 Inventor: R. Blach Vizoso Publication date: 27 December 2002
Membrane polymer compositions Applicant: US Filter Wastewater Group Inc, USA This invention relates to a terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene monomer, polyvinylidene fluoride monomer and hexafluoropropylene monomer for forming an ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane. It also details the methods used to form the membranes, and refers to the ultrafiltration or microfiltration membranes themselves. The invention also relates to a method of forming a polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane, including preparing a leachant-resistant membrane dope that incorporates a leachable pore-forming agent, and casting a membrane from the dope, and leaching the pore-forming agent from the membrane. The invention describes a method of preparing a polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane with an improved structure, including the step of adding a nucleating agent to the membrane dope before casting takes place. Patent number: WO 02/102500 Inventors: H.-J. Muller and D. Mullette Publication date: 27 December 2002
Field ionizing elements Applicant: Ionfinity Llc, USA A field-ionizing element has been developed. It is formed from a membrane that houses electrodes which are located closer to one another than the mean free path of the gas that is being ionized. The membrane includes a supporting portion, and a non-supporting portion where the ions are formed. The membrane may be used as the front-end for a number of different applications, including a mass spectrometer, a rotating-field mass spectrometer, a thruster, an ion mobility element, or an electrochemical device such as a fuel cell.
Membrane Technology February 2003
Patent number: WO 03/001219 Inventor: F.T. Hartley Publication date: 3 January 2003
Sub-sea membrane separation system Applicant: Chevron USA Inc, USA A system and a method that can be used to recover hydrocarbon gas and liquids from a sub-sea environment using a sub-sea membrane separation system is described. The system includes a production string, located in a subsea well-bore, for removing hydrocarbons and contaminants from the well-bore, and for removing hydrocarbons and contaminants from a sub-sea formation. At least one membrane separator is located underwater between the production string and a hydrocarbon collection tank, such that the temperature of the hydrocarbons is predetermined by the location of the membrane. In another embodiment, a tube is connected to a sub-sea production string for removing hydrocarbons and contaminants from a sub-sea well-bore. At least one membrane separator for separating contaminants from hydrocarbons in the tube is positioned between the production string and a hydrocarbon collection tank. The temperature of the hydrocarbons and contaminants is again controlled by the location of the membrane. Patent number: WO 03/000825 Inventors: D.R. Underdown and J.R. Hampton Publication date: 3 January 2003
N-Phosphonomethylglycine production Applicant: BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Germany The invention relates to a method for producing N-phosphonomethylglycine from an aqueous mixture containing N-phosphonomethylglycine, ammonium halogenides and alkali halides or earth alkali halides and optionally, organic impurities in a dissolved form. According to the method described, the pHvalue of the mixture is regulated to a value of 2–8, and the mixture is separated by means of a selective nanofiltration membrane, to obtain a retentate rich in N-phosphonomethylglycine and poor in halogenides, and a permeate rich in halogenides and poor in N-phosphonomethylglycine. The N-phosphonomethylglycine is prepared from the retentate. The method enables the production of N-phosphonomethylglycine by simultaneously separating out the halogenide salts. Patent number: WO 03/000704 Inventor: H. Vandenmersch, S. Orsten and C. Wulff Publication date: 3 January 2003
preparing at least a 12wt% solution of the polymer in a solvent which is chemically inert to the polymer (for example, concentrated sulphuric acid). A film of the solution is formed into a sheet or hollow structure, and the film is contacted with a non-solvent (for example, more dilute sulphuric acid or acetic acid) in order to precipitate the film. Patent number: WO 03/000390 Inventor: P.J. Brown Publication date: 3 January 2003
Membrane-assisted fluid separation Applicant: Petro Sep International Ltd, Canada This invention relates to a fluid separation module that is adapted to separate a given fluid mixture into permeate and retentate portions using bundles of hollow fibre membranes. The membranes may be made of different kinds of materials depending on the system that is being used to separate the fluid mixture. The fluid separation module may be used to separate fluid mixtures by a number of different processes, including but not limited to, pervaporation, vapour permeation, membrane distillation (both vacuum membrane distillation and direct contact membrane distillation), ultrafiltration, microfiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, membrane stripping and gas separation. The invention also provides an internal heat recovery process that is applied in association with the fluid separation applications. In this case, separation takes place by evaporation through the membrane of a large portion of the feed into the permeate. Desalination and contaminated water purification by means of vacuum membrane distillation are just two examples where the internal heat recovery process may be used. In these two examples, large portions of the feed are separated by membranes into a high purity water permeate stream (by evaporation through the membranes) and into a retentate stream (containing a higher concentration of dissolved components than is present in the feed). In this process, the permeate vapour that is extracted from the fluid separation module is compressed by an external compressor to increase its temperature to a level that is higher than that of the feed entering the separation module. Heat from the permeate vapour, at the elevated temperature, is transferred back to the incoming feed fluid mixture entering the fluid separation module, in a condenser/heat exchange. Patent number: WO 03/000389 Inventors: F.U. Baig, A.M. Kazi, and A. AlHassani Publication date: 3 January 2003
Hollow fibre membranes
Membrane materials for osmotic implants
Applicant: Victrex Manufacturing Ltd, UK Membranes comprising an aromatic ether ketone polymer (for example polyetherketone) in sheet or hollow fibre form are made by
Applicant: Alza Corp, USA An osmotic delivery system for controlled delivery of a beneficial agent is detailed. It includes a capsule (which can be implanted)
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Catalytic membrane reactor Applicant: David Systems & Technology Sl, Spain The patent covers a catalytic membrane reactor. It is composed of a body; a tubular ceramic porous membrane element (used to remove the hydrogen) that is coaxially disposed inside this body; and a catalyst for the thermal decomposition of the hydrogen sulphide into sulphur and hydrogen. According to the invention, a layer of this catalyst is deposited directly on the tubular ceramic porous membrane element. The material can be used to treat gases which contain hydrogen sulphide. Patent number: WO 02/102710 Inventor: R. Blach Vizoso Publication date: 27 December 2002
Membrane polymer compositions Applicant: US Filter Wastewater Group Inc, USA This invention relates to a terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene monomer, polyvinylidene fluoride monomer and hexafluoropropylene monomer for forming an ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane. It also details the methods used to form the membranes, and refers to the ultrafiltration or microfiltration membranes themselves. The invention also relates to a method of forming a polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane, including preparing a leachant-resistant membrane dope that incorporates a leachable pore-forming agent, and casting a membrane from the dope, and leaching the pore-forming agent from the membrane. The invention describes a method of preparing a polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane with an improved structure, including the step of adding a nucleating agent to the membrane dope before casting takes place. Patent number: WO 02/102500 Inventors: H.-J. Muller and D. Mullette Publication date: 27 December 2002
Field ionizing elements Applicant: Ionfinity Llc, USA A field-ionizing element has been developed. It is formed from a membrane that houses electrodes which are located closer to one another than the mean free path of the gas that is being ionized. The membrane includes a supporting portion, and a non-supporting portion where the ions are formed. The membrane may be used as the front-end for a number of different applications, including a mass spectrometer, a rotating-field mass spectrometer, a thruster, an ion mobility element, or an electrochemical device such as a fuel cell.
Membrane Technology February 2003
Patent number: WO 03/001219 Inventor: F.T. Hartley Publication date: 3 January 2003
Sub-sea membrane separation system Applicant: Chevron USA Inc, USA A system and a method that can be used to recover hydrocarbon gas and liquids from a sub-sea environment using a sub-sea membrane separation system is described. The system includes a production string, located in a subsea well-bore, for removing hydrocarbons and contaminants from the well-bore, and for removing hydrocarbons and contaminants from a sub-sea formation. At least one membrane separator is located underwater between the production string and a hydrocarbon collection tank, such that the temperature of the hydrocarbons is predetermined by the location of the membrane. In another embodiment, a tube is connected to a sub-sea production string for removing hydrocarbons and contaminants from a sub-sea well-bore. At least one membrane separator for separating contaminants from hydrocarbons in the tube is positioned between the production string and a hydrocarbon collection tank. The temperature of the hydrocarbons and contaminants is again controlled by the location of the membrane. Patent number: WO 03/000825 Inventors: D.R. Underdown and J.R. Hampton Publication date: 3 January 2003
N-Phosphonomethylglycine production Applicant: BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Germany The invention relates to a method for producing N-phosphonomethylglycine from an aqueous mixture containing N-phosphonomethylglycine, ammonium halogenides and alkali halides or earth alkali halides and optionally, organic impurities in a dissolved form. According to the method described, the pHvalue of the mixture is regulated to a value of 2–8, and the mixture is separated by means of a selective nanofiltration membrane, to obtain a retentate rich in N-phosphonomethylglycine and poor in halogenides, and a permeate rich in halogenides and poor in N-phosphonomethylglycine. The N-phosphonomethylglycine is prepared from the retentate. The method enables the production of N-phosphonomethylglycine by simultaneously separating out the halogenide salts. Patent number: WO 03/000704 Inventor: H. Vandenmersch, S. Orsten and C. Wulff Publication date: 3 January 2003
preparing at least a 12wt% solution of the polymer in a solvent which is chemically inert to the polymer (for example, concentrated sulphuric acid). A film of the solution is formed into a sheet or hollow structure, and the film is contacted with a non-solvent (for example, more dilute sulphuric acid or acetic acid) in order to precipitate the film. Patent number: WO 03/000390 Inventor: P.J. Brown Publication date: 3 January 2003
Membrane-assisted fluid separation Applicant: Petro Sep International Ltd, Canada This invention relates to a fluid separation module that is adapted to separate a given fluid mixture into permeate and retentate portions using bundles of hollow fibre membranes. The membranes may be made of different kinds of materials depending on the system that is being used to separate the fluid mixture. The fluid separation module may be used to separate fluid mixtures by a number of different processes, including but not limited to, pervaporation, vapour permeation, membrane distillation (both vacuum membrane distillation and direct contact membrane distillation), ultrafiltration, microfiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, membrane stripping and gas separation. The invention also provides an internal heat recovery process that is applied in association with the fluid separation applications. In this case, separation takes place by evaporation through the membrane of a large portion of the feed into the permeate. Desalination and contaminated water purification by means of vacuum membrane distillation are just two examples where the internal heat recovery process may be used. In these two examples, large portions of the feed are separated by membranes into a high purity water permeate stream (by evaporation through the membranes) and into a retentate stream (containing a higher concentration of dissolved components than is present in the feed). In this process, the permeate vapour that is extracted from the fluid separation module is compressed by an external compressor to increase its temperature to a level that is higher than that of the feed entering the separation module. Heat from the permeate vapour, at the elevated temperature, is transferred back to the incoming feed fluid mixture entering the fluid separation module, in a condenser/heat exchange. Patent number: WO 03/000389 Inventors: F.U. Baig, A.M. Kazi, and A. AlHassani Publication date: 3 January 2003
Hollow fibre membranes
Membrane materials for osmotic implants
Applicant: Victrex Manufacturing Ltd, UK Membranes comprising an aromatic ether ketone polymer (for example polyetherketone) in sheet or hollow fibre form are made by
Applicant: Alza Corp, USA An osmotic delivery system for controlled delivery of a beneficial agent is detailed. It includes a capsule (which can be implanted)
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