Patent · US Expired

Immobilized inorganic diffusion barriers and the use thereof in the separation of small molecular species from a solution

US4997676A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
11References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 28, 1989
Grant dateMar 5, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 28, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E50/10
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The modification of a diffusion barrier by the deposition of one or more inorganic species within the pores and on to the surfaces of said diffusion barrier to form an immobilized crystalline lattice barrier or molecular grid having substantially uniform permeability and to select and separate different ionic species, giving a high efficiency of separation with a low energy input. The diffusion barrier is characterized by one or more units, each incorporating a tubular housing with a bundle of porous hollow fibres therein, arranged in the axial direction of the housing. The inorganic crystalline lattice is exemplified by barium sulphate (BaSO.sub.4) formed by the interdiffusion of barium hydroxide (Ba(OH).sub.2) and sulphuric acid (H.sub.2 SO.sub.4) solutions, or, alternatively, co-precipitated aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH).sub.2) and barium sulphate (BaSO.sub.4) formed by the interdiffusion of barium hydroxide (Ba(OH).sub.2) and aluminium sulphate (Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3) solutions. These immobilized inorganic diffusion barriers are used for selective separation of small molecules (e.g. with a molecular weight of less than 1000 daltons) and provide means for the more effective se…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.