JPS6248526B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the structure of a tubular separation membrane made of a functional polymer membrane.

In recent years, research, development, and practical use have been actively conducted on polymeric functional separation membranes that are resource-saving, energy-saving, and expected to have many effects on environmental issues and medical fields.
For example, seawater desalination using high performance ion exchange membranes,
Energy-saving urban wastewater secondary treatment systems using non-polluting membranes, artificial kidneys and artificial lungs in the medical field, and hydrogen separation membranes, oxygen enrichment membranes, and oxygen-utilizing chemical reaction membranes in the chemical industry have already been put into practical use in many fields. It's coming. Conventional functional polymer membranes have either been used as they are, or spun into hollow fibers. However, if the membrane is used in its original form, the thickness of the membrane must be made as thin as possible in order to improve separation efficiency. cannot be retained, and a composite support layer such as woven fabric, non-woven fabric, or sponge must be used, making the support structure complicated and expensive. Furthermore, the disadvantage of using the membrane in its original form is that the membrane cannot be packed at a high packing density for the fluid to be separated, making efficient separation difficult. The membrane method also has advantages, such as the fact that it is flat, so membranes that have been tested for various qualities such as porous membrane pore size, membrane thickness, and membrane function can be used, and it is easy to create composite membranes with various functions. It is. Next, hollow fiber membranes have the advantage that even if the membrane is thin, it can withstand pressure and can have a high membrane packing density for the fluid to be separated. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to make a composite membrane, and quality control such as the thickness of the hollow fiber membrane is also difficult.
Furthermore, the seal structure for introducing internal fluid into each hollow fiber requires complicated work.

The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research with the aim of reducing the disadvantages and utilizing the advantages of using membranes in their original form, and created a structure that also has the advantages of hollow fibers, as described below. We succeeded in inventing a functional polymer separation membrane with a structure.

In the present invention, at least two stacked functional polymer separation membranes are sealed at both left and right end ends, and these seals may be made in the form of tubular membranes from the beginning, or two or more layers may be sealed. The above membranes may be sealed at both the left and right ends, but if the two or more membranes are sealed at both left and right ends, a large number of lines or dots may be formed on the inside of both ends. Or, by providing a loop-shaped adhesive seal part, two or more sheets of functional membranes are stacked as a starting material, and both left and right ends are sealed, but functionality is achieved by having multiple fluid passages inside the ends. It relates to polymer membranes.

An example of the structure of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.
The figure shows two polymeric functional separation membranes 1 and 2 sealed at both left and right ends 3 and 3' to form a tubular shape. The inner part is further adhesively sealed with linear lines 4, 4', 4'', etc., forming a structure that forms multiple groups of thin tube-shaped parts.Seals 3, 3' at both left and right ends and adhesive sealing at the inner part Heat sealing is simple and convenient when the polymeric functional membranes 1 and 2 are made of acetate, porous polyethylene, etc. and can be heat-sealed, but there are other methods for bonding the sealing parts 4, 4', and 4''. Adhesive is applied in a line on the inside of at least one side of the membranes before they are stacked, and then they are stacked together, followed by thermal bonding (in the case of hot melt adhesives) or removal of water or solvent contained in the adhesive (emulsion bonding). Adhesion can be achieved by using adhesive or solvent type adhesive, or by sandwiching a thread or tape coated with adhesive between the membranes 1 and 2. As a result, a large number of thin tube-like parts are formed between the two functional polymer membranes, and each of the fine tube-like parts produces the same effect as each hollow fiber.

FIG. 2 shows that in the introduction and discharge parts of the pipe fluid 5, a predetermined distance is left and an adhesive-sealed portion is provided inside the pipe fluid 5, thereby introducing or discharging the pipe fluid 5 into each of the internal multiple group tubular bodies. The structure of the present invention makes it easy to connect to the inlet pipe or the discharge pipe during discharge, and does not require special seals in such parts, which is not possible with conventional hollow fibers. It is.

FIG. 3 shows the adhesive seal portion 4 on the inner side of FIG.
4', 4'', ... are structured so that the seal part of the membrane is left as a loop and there is a cut in the loop, this allows the fluid outside the membrane to freely communicate between the front and back sides. It plays the same role as hollow fibers, and can now be incorporated into DuPont's "permasep" type, which is famous for its hollow fiber modules.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the "permasep" type module, where 5 is an inlet fluid, 6 is an outlet fluid, and 8 is a permeate fluid that has permeated through this separation membrane. This is an example in which a separation membrane consisting of multiple groups of tubular parts as shown in FIG. 3 of the present invention is packed inside, and the packing density of the membrane can be increased to the same level as that of hollow fibers. Furthermore, it can be seen that sealing of the introduced fluid and the discharged fluid is very easy if the membrane having the structure shown in FIG. 3 is used.

FIG. 5 shows a case where the adhesive seal portion on the inner side is made into a staggered straight line, and the seal portion is formed into a loop, and cuts are made in the loop while maintaining the seal. When the multi-group tubular parts are arranged in a staggered manner as shown in Fig. 5, when the internal fluid flows,
It easily flows and produces a stirring effect, and even if the tubular part is short, it can be made into an efficient separation membrane.

To make the cuts as shown in Figures 3 and 5, you can use a razor blade or the like to make the cuts, but with heat-sealable films, it is best to make the cuts with the internal adhesive seal by so-called fusing. is possible at the same time, and as such a cutter, a film is cut between a hot blade rotary cutter, in which a hot blade heated above the melting temperature of the film is planted in the roll, and an elastic roll cooled by a liquid. Patent Publication No. 11,757/1986 of the inventors of the present application, which is a method of continuously passing through the hot blade and fusing the part that hits the hot blade.
One of the most suitable methods is the method of making cuts in the thermoplastic film.

The structures in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5 are shown only when the adhesive seal part is a straight line, but it does not necessarily have to be a straight line and can be made into various curves to repeatedly pressurize and depressurize the internal fluid. It is also possible to create a structure that provides agitation of the internal fluid. Furthermore, the adhesive seal portion can be arranged at various points. FIG. 6 shows a case where the adhesive seal portion on the inner side of the tubular portion is circular and loop-shaped with a hole in the center, and such a structure can also satisfy the effects of the present invention.

A feature of the present invention is that since a membrane is used as a starting material, it can be used with sufficient quality control in terms of pore diameter, membrane thickness, and membrane functionality (e.g., the distribution of adsorption groups in ion exchange membranes), resulting in high-quality products. It becomes a tubular membrane. Furthermore, it is also possible to create tubes with advanced functionality by combining multiple layers of membranes. Another great feature of the present invention is that fluid sealing when introducing and discharging internal fluid can be done more easily and simply than in conventional hollow fibers.

In addition, in the case of hollow fibers, many fibers are independent, so when incorporating them into a module,
You have to count the number of pieces, make the lengths the same, and fix twists and bends, and the number of pieces can range from several thousand to tens of thousands, making handling them extremely troublesome. In the case of the structure of the present invention, the structure is equivalent to that of several hundred hollow fibers forming one unit, and the length is constant within the unit, so twisting and bending are not a problem. It is extremely easy to handle.

The numerous internal fluid passages formed inside the tubular body are not only circular, but can also take on various shapes such as ellipses, so it is better to have a larger contact membrane area for the amount of internal fluid than a hollow fiber with a shape close to a circle. You can also do it. Furthermore, since the internal fluid passages inside this tubular body can be formed in various ways, such as in a staggered pattern, it is possible to improve the separation effect of the membrane by repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing the internal fluid, or by stirring it. Furthermore, although the structure of the present invention uses a membrane as a starting material, it is possible to increase the pressure of the internal fluid as in the case of hollow fibers, and it is also possible to increase the packing density of the membrane relative to the internal fluid. I can do it. Furthermore, since conventional functional membranes can be used as they are, they can be manufactured easily and at low cost, and can be adapted to various types of membranes, tube diameters, and various shapes of internal fluid passages. It can be made into a tubular body with a wide range of functional polymer separation membranes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are schematic diagrams showing examples of the structure of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the device when it is incorporated into the device as a separation membrane. .

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A functional polymer functional membrane formed by stacking at least two layers and sealing the left and right ends of the membrane to form a tubular part, the inner part of the tubular part having a large number of linear, In a separation membrane having a dot-shaped or loop-shaped adhesive seal part, by providing an adhesive seal part inside the fluid inlet part or the inlet and outlet parts of the tubular part at a predetermined distance, the fluid inside the membrane can be sealed. A tubular separation membrane characterized in that it facilitates the introduction and discharge of. 2. The film of the adhesive seal part of claim 1 is characterized in that the seal part is loop-shaped and has a cut or a hole therein, so that external fluid can freely communicate between the front and back sides. Tubular separation membrane.