The present specification provides a composition comprising a material of Chemical Formula 1: ##STR00001##
having a molecular weight of 500,000 to 700,000 where R1 and R2 are the same as or different from each other, and each independently is hydrogen, deuterium, or an alkyl group, and n is from 10,000 to 20,000, for forming a reverse osmosis membrane protective layer, a method for preparing a reverse osmosis membrane using the same, a reverse osmosis membrane and a water-treatment module.

Disclosed is a method for the production of a porous polymer membrane suitable for liquid filtration or analyte capture, comprising the steps of: providing a flowable composition (100) on a substrate (220) the composition including at least: photo-activatable monomer molecules, photo activation initiator molecules and photo-activation quencher molecules; providing one or more pulses (L) of laser light at at least one focal point in the composition of sufficient energy to locally polymerise the composition; moving the or each focal point relative to the previously polymerised composition in a continuous or stepwise predetermined manner to a multiplicity of further positions; and repeating the pulse(s) at those further positions such that a three dimensional matrix of the composition is polymerised leaving unpolymerized areas of a size equivalent to conventional polymer membrane pores.

Methods of producing an ion exchange membrane support are disclosed. The methods include saturating a polymeric microporous substrate with a charged monomer solution comprising at least one functional monomer, a cross-linking agent, and an effective amount of at least one photopolymerization initiator and polymerizing the at least one functional monomer by exposing the saturated polymeric microporous substrate to ultraviolet light under conditions effective to cross-link the at least one functional monomer and produce the ion exchange membrane support. Methods of producing a monovalent selective ion exchange membrane are also disclosed. The methods include functionalizing an exterior surface of the ion exchange membrane support with a charged compound layer, drying the ion exchange membrane support and soaking the ion exchange membrane support in a solution comprising an acid or a base for an amount of time effective to produce the monovalent selective ion exchange membrane.

A monovalent selective ion exchange membrane is disclosed. The membrane includes a polymeric microporous substrate, a cross-linked ion-transferring polymeric layer on a surface of the substrate, and a charged functionalizing layer covalently bound to the ion-transferring layer. A method of producing a monovalent selective cation exchange membrane is also disclosed. The method may include chemically adsorbing a styrene intermediate layer to a cross-linked ion-transferring polymeric layer on a surface of a polymeric microporous substrate, chlorosulfonating the styrene intermediate layer to attach a sulfonyl chloride group layer, aminating the sulfonyl group layer to attach an amine group layer, and functionalizing the amine group layer with a charged compound layer to produce the cation exchange membrane. Water treatment systems including the monovalent selective cation exchange membrane and methods of facilitating water treatment including providing the monovalent selective cation exchange membrane are also disclosed.

A monovalent selective ion exchange membrane is disclosed. The membrane includes a polymeric microporous substrate, a cross-linked ion-transferring polymeric layer on a surface of the substrate, and a charged functionalizing layer covalently bound to the ion-transferring layer by an acrylic group. A method of producing a monovalent selective cation exchange membrane is also disclosed. The method may include chemically adsorbing an acrylic intermediate layer comprising a chlorosulfonated methacrylate group to a cross-linked ion-transferring polymeric layer on a surface of a polymeric microporous substrate, aminating the chlorosulfonated methacrylate group to attach an amine group layer, and functionalizing the amine group layer with a charged compound layer to produce the cation exchange membrane. Water treatment systems including the monovalent selective cation exchange membrane and methods of facilitating water treatment including providing the monovalent selective cation exchange membrane are also disclosed.

A porous membrane comprising a membrane-forming polymer (A) and a polymer (B) containing a methyl methacrylate unit and a hydroxyl group-containing (meth)acrylate (b1) unit. A flux of pure water to permeate the porous membrane is preferably 10 (m.sup.3/m.sup.2/MPa/h) or more and less than 200 (m.sup.3/m.sup.2/MPa/h). The contact angle of the bulk of the membrane-forming polymer (A) is preferably 60° or more. The membrane-forming polymer (A) is preferably a fluorine-containing polymer. The polymer (B) is preferably a random copolymer.

The present specification provides a composition comprising a material of Chemical Formula 1:

##STR00001##

having a molecular weight of 500,000 to 700,000 where R1 and R2 are the same as or different from each other, and each independently is hydrogen, deuterium, or an alkyl group, and n is from 10,000 to 20,000, for forming a reverse osmosis membrane protective layer, a method for preparing a reverse osmosis membrane using the same, a reverse osmosis membrane and a water-treatment module.

Disclosed is a method for the production of a porous polymer membrane suitable for liquid filtration or analyte capture, comprising the steps of: providing a flowable composition (100) on a substrate (220) the composition including at least: photo-activatable monomer molecules, photo activation initiator molecules and photo-activation quencher molecules; providing one or more pulses (L) of laser light at at least one focal point in the composition of sufficient energy to locally polymerise the composition; moving the or each focal point relative to the previously polymerised composition in a continuous or stepwise predetermined manner to a multiplicity of further positions; and repeating the pulse(s) at those further positions such that a three dimensional matrix of the composition is polymerised leaving unpolymerized areas of a size equivalent to conventional polymer membrane pores.

A process for preparing a composite membrane comprising the steps: a) applying a radiation-curable composition to a porous support; b) irradiating the composition present on the support, thereby forming a gutter layer of cured polymer; c) forming a discriminating layer on the gutter layer; and d) applying a radiation-curable composition to the discriminating layer and irradiating that composition, thereby forming a protective layer on the discriminating layer; wherein one or both of the radiation-curable compositions applied in steps a) and d) comprise a photo acid generator having an absorbency coefficient ? at 313 nm of more than 1?10.sup.4 mol.sup.?1*cm.sup.?1. Also claimed are composite membranes and gas separation cartridges comprising the membranes.

A porous membrane comprising a membrane-forming polymer (A) and a polymer (B) containing a methyl methacrylate unit and a hydroxyl group-containing (meth)acrylate (b1) unit. A flux of pure water to permeate the porous membrane is preferably 10 (m.sup.3/m.sup.2/MPa/h) or more and less than 200 (m.sup.3/m.sup.2/MPa/h). The contact angle of the bulk of the membrane-forming polymer (A) is preferably 60? or more. The membrane-forming polymer (A) is preferably a fluorine-containing polymer. The polymer (B) is preferably a random copolymer.