Title of Invention

PVC HOLLOW FILTRATION MEMBRANE AND THE PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF

Abstract The present invention provides a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane, which mainly comprises the following components: 30-95 wt.% of polyvinyl chloride and 5-70 wt.% of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer, wherein the polymerization degree of polyvinyl chloride is from 700 to 2500; the content of vinyl acetate is 10-19% and the content of maleic anhydride is 18-40% on a basis of total weight of the terpolymer; and the absolute viscosity of the terpolymer is 1.2-1.9 mPa•s. A method for preparing such a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane is also provided in the present invention.
Full Text PVC HOLLOW FILTRATION MEMBRANE AND
THE PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane,
especially to a modified polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane having good
permeability and anti-pollution properties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Due to the characteristics such as energy conservation, environmental protection and
easy operation o'f the membrane isolation technique, the industry of membrane isolation has
developed rapidly, and the application scope thereof has been extended to the fields such as
biology, medicament, environmental protection, energy sources, municipal water treatment,
and waste water treatment. A hollow filtration membrane, due to its large filtration area per
unit volume, low cost of the manufacture of equipment, and the realization of cross flow
filtration, makes the life time of the filter element greatly extended. However, the current
commercialized hollow filtration membrane products generally utilize materials such as
polysulfones (PS), polyvinylidene fluorides (PVDF), polyethersulfones (PES), and
polyacrylonitriles (PAN), which cannot be widely used due to their low ratios of quality to
price.
Polyvinyl chlorides are attracting more and more attention from research units, as they
have good physical properties and chemical stability, are resistant to microorganism erosion,
acids and bases, and have a lot of sources and varieties, the price of which is low. However,
since the hydrophilicity of polyvinyl chloride materials themselves is not good, polyvinyl
chloride filtration membranes have no good penetration property and are easily polluted, thus
causing the filtration property thereof to decline rapidly.
To produce liquid separation membranes of polyvinyl chloride having excellent
properties, it is necessary to improve the hydrophilicity thereof after the membrane is formed.
To realize it, the following methods may be employed: (1) copolymerization modification, i.e.
introducing other chemical substances having hydrophilic groups into vinyl chloride chain
segments by copolymerization; (2) plasma surface modification, i.e. treating polyvinyl
chloride powders or membranes with plasma to produce hydrophilic groups containing
chlorine on the surfaces of polyvinyl chloride powders or membranes; and (3) surface grafting
modification (one of filtration membrane chemical modification), i.e. making polyvinyl
chloride molecule chain produce free radicals by high energy radiation such as Y-ray and
electron beam, then introducing the desired hydrophilic groups into the membrane surface by
graft polymerization. All of the above three methods can realize the improvement of the
hydrophilicity property of polyvinyl chloride filtration membrane, but their industrialization is
not easy, as the cost is high.

The fourth modification method for polyvinyl chloride filtration membrane is called as
co-blend modification, i.e. adding a co-blend material, which is compatible with polyvinyl
chloride materials and has hydrophilic groups, into a slurry for preparing the membrane. The
less the difference of solubility parameters (representing the solubility property of a
macromolecule material) between the two materials is, then the better the compatibility of the
two materials is, the more stable the slurry for preparing the membrane is, the more uniform
the aperture of the formed membrane is, and the less the drawbacks are. Furthermore, the
better the hydrophilicity property of the selected co-blend material is, and the higher the ratio
thereof in the slurry for preparing the membrane is, then the higher the water flux of the
membrane is, and the better the anti-pollution property thereof is. Therefore, the selection of
proper co-blend material and the use of the proper molding technique can produce a polyvinyl
chloride hollow filtration membrane having good mechanical properties, high water flux and
good anti-pollution property, which has a good quality and low cost.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration
membrane having good penetration property and remarkable anti-pollution property.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing a polyvinyl
chloride hollow filtration membrane.
The polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane of the present invention mainly
comprises the following components:
30-95 wt.% of polyvinyl chloride, and
5-70 wt.% of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer,
wherein the polymerization degree of polyvinyl chloride is from 700 to 2500; the
content of vinyl acetate is 10-19% and the content of maleic anhydride is 18-40% on a basis
of total weight of the terpolymer; and the absolute viscosity of the terpolymer is 1.2-1.9
mPa.s.
The present invention also provides a method for preparing a polyvinyl chloride hollow
filtration membrane, which comprises the following steps:
formulating a spray-membrane slurry having the following components on a basis of
total weight of the slurry:
polyvinyl chloride 5.6-14.1%
vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer 0.4-13.0%
thermal stabilizer 0.1-0.7%
solvent 61.5-85.1%
hole-making agent 1.1-10.4%
wherein the polymerization degree of polyvinyl chloride is from 700 to 2500; the content of
vinyl acetate is 10-19% and the content of maleic anhydride is 18-40% on a basis of total
weight of the terpolymer; and the absolute viscosity of the terpolymer is 1.2-1.9 mPa.s;

mixing the polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer,
heat stabilizer and solvent within the above proportion ranges, dissolving the mixture at
40-90°C, then adding a hole-making agent therein, dissolving for 10-24 hours with continuous
stirring, and standing for 10-15 hours to form the spray-membrane slurry; and
spraying the membrane by a known method to solidify the membrane, thereby forming
the polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
In the polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane of the present invention, the
content of polyvinyl chloride is 30-95 wt.%, preferably 60-80 wt.%, and the content of the
vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer is 5-70 wt.%, preferably 20-40 wt.%.
Said filtration membrane further inevitably contains a trace quantity of residual solvent and
other impurities. .
In the vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer used in the present
invention, the content of vinyl acetate is 10-19 wt.%, preferably 13-15 wt.%, and the content
of maleic anhydride is 18-40 wt.%, preferably 20-28 wt.%. The terpolymer contains a strong
hydrophilic group (-COOH), which has a water contact angle of 40 degree and a solubility
parameter of 9.5-9.7 (J/cm3)1/2. The solubility parameter of said vinyl chloride-vinyl
acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer is very close to that of the polyvinyl chloride (9.6
(J/cm3)1/2), so the compatibility of these two materials are very good, and can be blended
almost in any ratio.
In the method for preparing the membrane of the present invention, the solvent may be
selected from the group consisting of dimethyl formamide (DMF) or dimethyl acetamide
(DMAC). The thermal stabilizer may be selected from the group consisting of barium stearate,
organotin, and a lead compound, preferably thiolmethyltin. The main function of the stabilizer
is to avoid the thermal degradation of the polyvinyl chloride produced in the process of
formulating and heating the slurry. The hole-making agent can increase the percentage of
open area of the membrane, enhance the penetration property of the membrane, and will be
helpful to improve the toughness thereof. The hole-making agent can be selected from the
group consisting of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), preferably
polyethylene glycol (PEG). The slurry for preparing the membrane can be prepared at a
temperature of 40-90°C, preferably 50-80°C.
The vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer used in the present
invention has good hydrophilicity property, and physical and chemcial properties, and is
compatible with polyvinyl chloride, the cost of which is relatively low. The addition of the
vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer can greatly improve the
hydrophilicity and anti-pollution properties of the formed membrane. For example, when the
weight ratio of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer to polyvinyl chloride
is 3:7, the water contact angle of the filtration membrane is 57 degree, while the water contact

angle of the complete polyvinyl chloride filtration membrane is 66 degree.
The spray-membrane slurry of the present invention can be used to spray the membrane
by a known dry jet-wet spinning method, then be solidified in a coagulant to form a
membrane, wherein the coagulant is water or an aqueous solution containing a certain solvent.
Thus, the polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane of the present invention, which has
excellent properties, is prepared.
EXAMPLES
Now the present invention is further detailedly illustrated in combination with the
following examples. However, it is appreciated that these examples are only intended to
illustrate the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
A uniform spray-membrane slurry was prepared according to the following procedure:
11.5 wt.% of polyvinyl chloride, 5.0 wt.% of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride
terpolymer and 0.3 wt.% of thiolmethyltin stabilizer were mixed; then the mixture, together
with 76.3 wt.% of DMAC, were poured into a stirring vessel at a temperature of 78°C with the
stirring rotation speed of 110rpm; after they were basically dissolved, 6.9 wt.% of PEG was
added therein; then they were stirred for 10 hours at a constant temperature of 78°C, the
vacuum debubbling was performed, and they were stood for 12 hours to form the
spray-membrane slurry. The resulting spray-membrane slurry was extruded through an
spinneret by a dry jet-wet spinning method, then it was passed through a water coagulant to
produce a hollow filtration membrane. The resulting membrane has a retention molecule
weight of 80,000 daltons, and has a pure water filtration yield of 800 L/m2h at a pressure of
0.1 MPa and a water temperature of 25°C.
EXAMPLE 2
A uniform spray-membrane slurry was prepared according to the following procedure:
9.4 wt.% of polyvinyl chloride, 3.3 wt.% of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride
terpolymer and 0.2 wt.% of thiolmethyltin stabilizer were mixed; then the mixture, together
with 83.9 wt.% of DMAC, were poured into a stirring vessel at a temperature of 60°C with the
stirring rotation speed of 90rpm; after they were basically dissolved, 3.2 wt.% of PEG was
added therein; then they were stirred for 10 hours at a constant temperature of 60°C, the
vacuum debubbling was performed, and they were stood for 12 hours toform the
spray-membrane slurry. The resulting spray-membrane slurry was extruded through an
spinneret by a dry jet-wet spinning method, then it was passed through a water coagulant to
produce a hollow filtration membrane. The resulting membrane has a retention molecule
weight of 150,000 daltons, and has a pure water filtration yield of 1160 L/m2h at a pressure of
0.1 MPa and a water temperature of 25°C.

WE CLAIM:
1. A polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane, which mainly comprises the
following components:
5.6-14.1 wt.% of polyvinyl chloride, and
0.4-13.0 wt.% of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer,
wherein the polymerization degree of polyvinyl chloride is from 700 to 2500; the
content of vinyl acetate is 10-19% and the content of maleic anhydride is 18-40% on a basis
of total weight of the terpolymer; and the absolute viscosity of the terpolymer is 1.2-1.9
mPa.s.
2. The polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
content of vinyl acetate is 13-15% and the content of maleic anhydride is 20-28% on a basis
of total weight of the vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer.
3. A method for preparing a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane, which
comprises the following steps:
formulating a spray-membrane slurry having the following components on a basis of
total weight of a slurry for preparing the membrane:
polyvinyl chloride 5.6-14.1%
vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer 0.4-13.0%
thermal stabilizer 0.1-0.7%
organic solvent 61.5-85.1%
hole-making agent 1.1-10.4%
wherein the polymerization degree of polyvinyl chloride is from 700 to 2500; the content of
vinyl acetate is 10-19% and the content of maleic anhydride is 18-40% on a basis of total
weight of the terpolymer; and the absolute viscosity of the terpolymer is 1.2-1.9 mPa.s;
mixing the polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer,
heat stabilizer and organic solvent such as herein described within the above proportion
ranges, dissolving the mixture at 40-90°C, then adding a hole-making agent such as herein
described therein, dissolving for 10-24 hours with continuous stirring, and standing for 10-15
hours to form the spray-membrane slurry; and
spraying the membrane by a known method to solidify the membrane, thereby forming
the polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the spray-membrane slurry is prepared at
a temperature of 50-80°C.
5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thermal stabilizer is one or more
selected from the group consisting of barium stearate, organotin and a lead compound.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thermal stabilizer is thiolmethyltin.

The present invention provides a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane, which mainly comprises the following components: 30-95 wt.% of polyvinyl chloride and 5-70 wt.% of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride terpolymer, wherein the polymerization degree of polyvinyl chloride is from 700 to 2500; the content of vinyl acetate is 10-19% and the content of maleic anhydride is 18-40% on a basis of total weight of the terpolymer; and the absolute viscosity of the terpolymer is 1.2-1.9 mPa•s. A method for preparing such a polyvinyl chloride hollow filtration membrane is also provided in the present invention.

Documents:

241-KOLNP-2006-(03-01-2012)-FORM-27.pdf

241-KOLNP-2006-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

241-KOLNP-2006-FORM 27.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-abstract.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-assignment.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-claims.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-correspondence.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-description (complete).pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-examination report.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-form 1.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-form 13.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-form 18.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-form 3.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-form 5.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-gpa.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

241-kolnp-2006-granted-specification.pdf


Patent Number 228122
Indian Patent Application Number 241/KOLNP/2006
PG Journal Number 05/2009
Publication Date 30-Jan-2009
Grant Date 28-Jan-2009
Date of Filing 31-Jan-2006
Name of Patentee SHANGHI LITREE PURIFYING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
Applicant Address 206A, NO. 333, HONGQIAO ROAD, SHANGHAI
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 CHEN LIANGGANG 506A, NO. 333, HONGQIAO ROAD, SHANGHAI 200030
PCT International Classification Number B01D 71/30
PCT International Application Number PCT/CN2004/000887
PCT International Filing date 2004-08-02
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 03127516.8 2003-08-06 China