Hydrophilic, light active coating for membranes
US10537858B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 20, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jan 21, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC02F2305/10
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A porous membrane provides enhanced filtration of pollutants and particles by coating the membrane with conformal thin films of doped titanium dioxide via atomic layer deposition or, alternatively, sequential infiltration synthesis. The membrane can either be organic or inorganic, and the doping of the membrane, usually with nitrogen, is an important feature that shifts the optical absorption of the TiO2 from the UV range into the visible-light range. This enables the use of lower energy light, including sunlight, to activate the photocatalytic function of the film. The coating described in the present invention is compatible with virtually any porous membrane and allows for precise tuning of the pore size with molecular precision. The present invention presents a new coating process and chemical structure that provides catalytic activity, strongly enhanced by light, to both mitigate fouling and break down various organic pollutants in the process stream.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.