Porous ePTFE articles coated with a hydrophilic coating are provided. The coating may be modified by covalent modifications to the PVOH coating. Covalent modifications may include small molecule grafting, polymer grafting to or from the PVOH backbone, crosslinking of the polymer via thermal or photochemistry, and the like, and combinations thereof. A second polymer coating may be applied onto the PVOH coating. The second polymer may be added, for example, by using a saturation coating technique such as dip coating or spray coating to saturate a PVOH coated ePTFE substrate with a second polymer carried by a fluid. Application of the second polymer may form a second conformal coating over the first PVOH coating.

Functionalized membranes are produced via grafting of polymer brushes to the membrane surface for use, e.g., in separation and purification of biomolecules. One or more initiators are attached to the membrane surface. A reactant substrate, such as a copper metal plate, is placed adjacent the membrane. A reaction medium is then provided in fluid contact with the membrane and the reactant substrate, the reaction medium including one or more monomers, one or more ligands, and one or more solvents. The polymer brushes are grown on the membrane via Cu(0)-mediated controlled radical polymerization involving the reactant substrate and the reaction medium. This reaction process uses fewer numbers and amounts of chemicals compared to other controlled radical polymerization reactions such as ATRP. The reaction can take place at room temperature, which is more energy efficient than other CRPs which occur at a much higher temperatures. The reaction process described herein is also sixteen times faster than the standard ATRP method without sacrificing subsequent separation performance.

The present invention provides a composite membrane suitable for liquid-liquid filtration/reverse osmosis. The invention also provides a copolymer useful in the composite membrane, the copolymer comprising an anchoring repeating unit and a foulant-repelling repeating unit, as well as methods for preparing the composite membrane and copolymers. In a preferred embodiment, a copolymer (P [SBMA-co-HEMA]) is synthesized via the free radical copolymerization of a zwitterionic monomer of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) and an anchoring monomer of hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate (HEMA).

The present invention pertains to a process for the manufacture of a grafted fluorinated polymer comprising at least one grafted side chain comprising one or more glycosidic recurring units [polymer (F)], said process comprising polymerizing: vinylidene fluoride (VDF), optionally, one or more other fluorinated monomers [monomers (F)], and optionally, one or more (meth)acrylic monomers [monomers (MA)],
in the presence of at least one polysaccharide derivative [derivative (P)], said polysaccharide derivative having a dynamic viscosity of less than 15 mPas, as measured according to ASTM D445 at 20 C. in an aqueous solution at a concentration of 2% by weight,
and by further providing novel polymers (F) as defined above.

The invention pertains to a process for the manufacture of a fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite, to a polymer electrolyte membrane based on a said fluoropolymer and to uses of said electrolyte membrane in various applications, especially in electrochemical applications.

A method for making a composite polyamide membrane comprising a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the method includes the step of applying a polyfunctional amine monomer and polyfunctional acyl halide monomer to a surface of the porous support and interfacially polymerizing the monomers to form a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the step of applying the polyfunctional acyl halide monomer to the porous support includes the step of combining the polyfunctional acyl halide monomer with a non-polar solvent at a concentration of at least 0.18 weight percent to form a coating solution which is applied to the surface of the porous support, and wherein the interfacial polymerization is conducted in the presence of a tri-hydrocarbyl phosphate compound which is provided in a molar ratio of at least 0.5:1 with the polyfunctional acyl halide monomer. Many additional embodiments are described including membranes made from the subject method and applications for such membranes.

A method for making a composite polyamide membrane including a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the method includes the step of applying a polyfunctional amine monomer and a tetraacyl acyl halide monomer represented by Formula (I) to a surface of the porous support and interfacially polymerizing the monomers to form a thin film polyamide layer; wherein A is selected from: oxygen (O); carbon (C); silicon (Si); each of which may be unsubstituted or substituted, e.g. with alkyl groups of 1-4 carbon atoms; or a carbonyl group (C(O)), X is the same or different and is selected from a halogen, and Y is selected from halogen and hydroxide. ##STR00001##

A thin film composite polyamide membrane having a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer comprising a reaction product of m-phenylene diamine (mPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), characterized by the thin film polyamide layer having a critical strain value of less than 10%. In another embodiment, the thin film polyamide layer has a modulus of greater than 0.75 (GPa). In yet another embodiment, the thin film polyamide layer has an equilibrium swelling value of at least 45%. In another embodiment, the thin film polyamide layer has a thickness of at least 230 nm.

A thin film composite membrane including a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer characterized by having a dissociated carboxylate content of at least 0.45 moles/kg at pH 9.5 and a method for making a composite polyamide applying a polar solution comprising a polyfunctional amine monomer and a non-polar solution comprising a polyfunctional amine-reactive monomer to a surface of the porous support and interfacially polymerizing the monomers to form a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the method is characterized by the non-polar solution comprising at least 0.025 wt % of an acid compound including at least one carboxylic acid moiety and at least one amine-reactive moiety selected from acyl halide and anhydride.

Provided herein are filtration membranes for water treatment, and methods for preventing fouling of such membranes. The method described herein comprises grafting the membrane surface with an organic moiety, by reacting the surface with an organometallic reagent, a phosphonate, a phosphinate, or an organosilane.