ELECTROOSMOTIC MEMBRANE

Abstract

A porous membrane for use in an electroosmotic pump for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport, the porous membrane comprising: first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction extending in the porous membrane between said opposite surfaces, wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the first to the second opposite surface more electroosmotic transport of the fluid will occur than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the second to the first, opposite surface.

Claims

1. A porous membrane for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport, the porous membrane comprising: a porous layer having first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction extending in the porous layer between said opposite surfaces, the porous layer having a first region extending in the net fluid flow direction, and a second region laterally offset from the first region with respect to the net fluid flow direction and extending in the net fluid flow direction, wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a first direction, the ratio of the amount of charge flowing through the first region compared to the second region is greater than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a second, opposite direction.

2. A porous membrane according to claim 1, wherein, the amount of charge in a given time which flows through the first region, when a first voltage bias is applied across the porous membrane, is higher than when a second, opposite voltage bias, which is equal in magnitude to the first voltage bias is applied across the porous membrane.

3. A porous membrane according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the porous layer is a first porous layer and the porous membrane comprises a second porous layer on the first surface of the first porous layer.

4. A porous membrane according to claim 3, wherein when charge flows in the second direction, the charge flows in a direction from the second porous layer towards the first porous layer.

5. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the second region has a lower resistance to the flow of charge compared to the first region when the charge flows in the second direction.

6. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the second region has a higher resistance to the flow of charge when the charge flows in the first direction than when the charge flows in the second direction.

7. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein, when a given amount of charge flows through the first region, more electroosmotic transport will occur than when the given amount of charge flows through the second region.

8. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the amount of electroosmotic transport which occurs when a given amount of charge flows through the first region in the direction of the net fluid flow is higher than the amount of electroosmotic transport which occurs when the given amount of charge flows through the second region in the direction opposite to the direction of the net fluid flow.

9. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the first region has a larger average pore size than the average pore size of the second region.

10. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the first region has an average pore size which is between 20 nm and 200 nm.

11. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the second region has an average pore size which is less than 20 nm.

12. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the first region has pore walls carrying a zeta potential with absolute value of between 10 and 100 mV.

13. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the first region comprises sulfonic acid groups.

14. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the second region is formed from one or more ionic diodes.

15. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the second region comprises a bipolar ion exchange membrane which comprises a bilayer of cation and anion exchange membranes in a direction across the (first) porous layer from the first to the second opposite surface of the (first) porous layer.

16. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the pore(s) of the second region are conical pore(s).

17. A porous membrane according to claim 16, wherein a region towards one end of the conical pore has a negative surface charge and a region at the opposite end of the conical pore has a positive surface charge.

18. A porous membrane according to any preceding claim, wherein the porous membrane includes an electrical insulator between the first region and the second region.

19. An electroosmotic pump for pumping a fluid, the pump comprising a passageway forming a flow path for fluid transport, and a porous membrane according to any preceding claim located within said passageway.

20. A textile, the textile comprising a porous membrane according to any of claims 1 to 18.

21. A pump according to claim 19 or a textile according to claim 20, wherein the pump or the textile comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is provided on one side of the porous membrane in proximity to the first surface of the (first) porous layer and the second electrode is provided on the opposite side of the porous membrane in relative proximity to the second surface of the (first) porous layer.

22. A pump according to claim 21 or a textile according to claim 21, wherein a distance between the first electrode and the first surface of the porous layer is greater than a distance between the second electrode and the second surface of the porous layer.

23. A pump according to claim 21 or 22 or a textile according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the pump or the textile comprises an electronic diode layer which is located between a surface of the porous layer and one of the first or second electrodes.

24. A pump according to claim 23 or a textile according to claim 23, wherein the average dimension of the electronic diodes in a direction along the diode layer is less than the width of the first region.

25. An electroosmotic pump for pumping a fluid, the pump comprising: a passageway forming a flow path for fluid transport, a porous membrane located within said passageway, the porous membrane comprising: a porous layer having first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction parallel to the flow path extending in the porous membrane layer between said opposite surfaces, the porous layer comprising: a first region extending in the net fluid flow direction, and a second region laterally offset from the first region with respect to the net flow direction and extending in the net fluid flow direction, wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a first direction, the ratio of the amount of charge flowing through the first region compared to the second region is greater than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a second, opposite direction.

26. A pump according to claim 25, wherein the amount of charge in a given time which flows through the first region, when a first voltage bias is applied across the porous membrane, is higher than when a second, opposite voltage bias, which is equal in magnitude to the first voltage bias, is applied across the porous membrane.

27. A textile, the textile comprising: a porous membrane, the porous membrane comprising: a porous layer having first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction extending in the porous membrane layer between said opposite surfaces, the porous layer comprising: a first region extending in the net fluid flow direction, and a second region laterally offset from the first region with respect to the net flow direction and extending in the net fluid flow direction, wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a first direction, the ratio of the amount of charge flowing through the first region compared to the second region is greater than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a second, opposite direction.

28. A textile according to claim 27, wherein the amount of charge in a given time which flows through the first region, when a first voltage bias is applied across the porous membrane, is higher than when a second, opposite voltage bias, which is equal in magnitude to the first voltage bias, is applied across the porous membrane.

29. A method of pumping a fluid through a porous membrane, the method comprising: providing a porous membrane comprising: a porous layer having first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction extending in the porous membrane between said opposite surfaces, the porous layer comprising a first region extending in the net fluid flow direction, and a second region laterally offset from the first region with respect to the net flow direction and extending in the net fluid flow direction; causing charge flow across the porous membrane in a first direction by applying a voltage bias across the porous membrane, and causing charge flow across the porous membrane in a second direction opposite to the first direction by applying an opposite voltage bias across the porous membrane, and wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a first direction, the ratio of the amount of charge flowing through the first region compared to the second region is greater than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane in a second, opposite direction.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein, in a given amount of time, there is no net flow of charge across the membrane.

31. A method according to claim 29 or 30, wherein, the amount of charge in a given time flowing through the first region, when a first voltage bias is applied across the porous membrane, is higher than when a second, opposite voltage bias, of equal magnitude to the first voltage bias, is applied across the porous membrane.

32. A porous membrane for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport, the porous membrane comprising: first and second opposite surfaces and a net fluid flow direction extending in the porous membrane between said opposite surfaces, wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the first to the second opposite surface more electroosmotic transport of the fluid will occur than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the second to the first, opposite surface.

33. An electroosmotic textile for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport, the textile comprising: a porous membrane, the porous membrane comprising a first porous layer and a second porous layer which are laminated together; a first porous conductive layer, wherein the first porous conductive layer is laminated to the first porous layer of the porous membrane; and a second porous conductive layer, wherein the second porous conductive layer is laminated to the second porous layer of the porous membrane; wherein when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the first to the second porous conductive layer more electroosmotic transport of the fluid will occur than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the second to the first porous conductive layer.

34. An electroosmotic textile according to claim 33, wherein the first and second porous layers have different surface charges.

35. An electroosmotic textile according to claim 34, wherein the second porous layer has a surface charge and the first porous layer is uncharged.

36. An electroosmotic textile according to claim 34, wherein the first porous layer has a surface charge which has an absolute value which is 80% or less of the absolute value of charge of the second porous layer.

37. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 36, wherein the second porous layer comprises sulfonic acid groups.

38. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 37, wherein the first and second porous layers have different average pore sizes.

39. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 38, wherein the first porous layers has a pore size which is at least 4 times the pore size of the second porous layer.

40. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 39, wherein the average pore size of the second porous layers is from 1 to 60 nm.

41. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 40, wherein the first porous layers has a porosity which is greater than the porosity of the second porous layer.

42. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 41, wherein the second porous layers is an electroosmotic layer.

43. An electroosmotic textile according to claim 42, wherein the first porous layer is not an electroosmotic layer.

44. An electroosmotic textile according to claim 42 or 43, wherein the electroosmotic layer is a sulfonated track etched polyethylene terephthalate layer.

45. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 44, wherein the first and second porous layers are of substantially equal thickness.

46. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 45, wherein the first conductive porous layer and the second conductive porous layer are low voltage reversible electrodes.

47. An electroosmotic textile according to any of claims 33 to 46, wherein the textile comprises a power source.

48. An electroosmotic textile according to claim 47, wherein the power source is arranged to apply a low frequency AC voltage across the porous membrane.

49. A method of pumping a fluid through an electroosmotic textile, the method comprising: providing an electroosmotic textile comprising: a porous membrane, the porous membrane comprising a first porous layer and a second porous layer which are laminated together; a first porous conductive layer, wherein the first porous conductive layer is laminated to the first porous layer of the porous membrane; and a second porous conductive layer, wherein the second porous conductive layer is laminated to the second porous layer of the porous membrane; causing charge flow across the porous membrane from the first porous conductive layer to the second porous conductive layer by applying a voltage bias between the first and second porous conductive layers, and causing charge flow across the porous membrane from the second porous conductive layer to the first porous conductive layer by applying an opposite voltage bias between the conductive layers, and wherein, when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the first to the second porous conductive layer, more electroosmotic transport of the fluid will occur than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane from the second to the first porous conductive layer.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein, in a given amount of time, there is no net flow of charge across the membrane.

Description

[0187] Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0188] FIGS. 1 to 4 show schematic porous membranes for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport which are located between two electrodes,

[0189] FIG. 5 shows a schematic of a bipolar ion exchange membrane under forward and reverse bias conditions; and

[0190] FIG. 6 is a schematic of an electroosmotic textile.

[0191] FIG. 1 shows an electroosmotic porous membrane 1 for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport for use in an electroosmotic pump or for use in a textile. The porous membrane 1 comprises a plurality of first regions 2 which are for moving a fluid, e.g. water, through the membrane by means of electroosmosis. The first regions 2 each comprise a standard electroosmotic membrane which is designed to effect electroosmotic transport of a fluid when a voltage is applied across the porous membrane 1 and thus may be termed electroosmotic membrane regions 2.

[0192] The porous membrane 1 also comprises a plurality of second regions 4 which may be termed ionic diode membranes or ionic diode regions 4. By ionic diode region it is meant that this region 4 has a higher resistance to the flow of ionic charge when a first voltage bias is applied across the porous membrane 1 than when a second opposite voltage bias, which is equal in magnitude to the first voltage bias, is applied across the porous membrane 1.

[0193] The porous membrane 1 is located between two electrodes 6, 8. The electrodes 6, 8 permit a voltage to be applied across the porous membrane 1. The voltage may be supplied for example by an external power source (which is not shown in the schematic figures).

[0194] The width L2 of the first regions 2 may be substantially the same as the width L1 of the second regions 4. This means that the cross sectional area of porous membrane 1 which is covered by the first regions 2 may be substantially the same as the cross sectional area of porous membrane which is covered by the second regions 4.

[0195] In the example shown the ionic diode regions 4 are made from a bipolar ion exchange membrane which are made from a bilayer of cation exchange membrane 10 and anion exchange membrane 12. The height h1 of the cation exchange membrane 10 may be substantially the same as the height h2 of the anion exchange membrane 12. Thus, the cation exchange membrane 10 may extend about halfway through the thickness of the porous membrane 1 from a first surface of the porous membrane 1 and the anion exchange membrane 12 may extend about halfway through the thickness of the porous membrane 1 from an opposite, second surface of the porous membrane 1.

[0196] As shown schematically in FIG. 5 when a reverse bias is applied across a bipolar ion exchange membrane concentration polarisation results in an ion depletion (as shown on the left hand side of the figure—the “closed” direction of current) and when a forward bias is applied concentration polarisation results in ion concentration (as shown on the right hand side of the figure—the “opened” direction of current). As a result of the ion concentration, the resistance to the flow of ionic current is much lower when a forward bias is applied compared to when a reverse bias is applied across the ionic diode membrane 4. In other words, the conductivity of the ionic diode layer 4 is much higher when a forward bias is applied compared to when a reverse bias is applied.

[0197] Alternatively, or additionally, to the ionic diode regions 4 being bipolar ion exchange membranes, the pores of the ionic diode regions may have an asymmetrical geometry such as substantially conical. The pores are termed substantially conical because they would be truncated cones. Substantially conical pores have the same effect of having a higher resistance to ionic flow in one direction compared to the other.

[0198] The conductivity of the electroosmotic membrane region 2 may be approximately the same with both a first voltage bias and an opposite voltage bias of equal magnitude.

[0199] In an embodiment, the first and second regions can be separated by an insulating region, also creating a distance between the elements of the first and second regions.

[0200] As a result of the resistance of the ionic diode membrane 4 being lower with a forward bias compared to a reverse bias, when a forward bias is applied a greater amount of the charge will flow through the ionic diode membrane 4 than when a reverse bias of equal magnitude is applied. As a result of the electroosmotic regions 2 effecting more electroosmotic transport for a given amount of charge than the ionic diode regions 4, if the amount of charge which flows through the ionic diode regions 4 compared to the electroosmotic regions 2 changes depending on the voltage bias, a net flow of fluid will occur in the direction in which a greater amount of the charge flows through the electroosmotic regions 2 compared to the opposite bias of equal magnitude.

[0201] When the current is taken to have a constant absolute value and an equal absolute value for each forward bias and reverse bias voltage pulse, each pulse having the same duration, the current through the electroosmotic membrane regions 2 in the forward bias direction of the ionic diode membranes 4 is given by:

[00001]$I_{\mathrm{MC}}=\frac{I}{1+\frac{R_M}{R_{\mathrm{DO}}}}$

[0202] where I.sub.MC is the current across the electroosmotic regions 2 with a forward voltage bias (in relation to the ionic diode membranes 4), I is the total current across the porous membrane 1, R.sub.M is the resistance of the electroosmotic regions 2, and R.sub.DO is the resistance of the ionic diode membranes 4 with a forward voltage bias.

[0203] Under the same conditions, the current through the electroosmotic regions 2 with a reverse bias (in relation to the ionic diode regions 4) is given by:

[00002]$I_{\mathrm{MO}}=\frac{I}{1+\frac{R_M}{R_{\mathrm{DC}}}}$

[0204] where I.sub.MO is the current across the electroosmotic regions 2 with a reverse voltage bias (in relation to the ionic diode membranes 4), and R.sub.DC is the resistance of the ionic diode membranes 4 with a reverse voltage bias.

[0205] As mentioned above, the current is taken to have a constant absolute value and an equal absolute value for each following pulse, each pulse having same duration. In the general case, the current could be changed with charge transferred Q, and the averaged amount of charge passed in each direction is equal (i.e. the current and time may be different but the overall charge transferred is the same). When the resistance of the electroosmotic regions 2 (i.e. the first regions) to charge flow is the same irrespective of the voltage bias, there will be a net fluid flow through the membrane and in the direction of the reverse bias for the ionic diode membranes 4, as long as R.sub.DC is greater than R.sub.DO.

[0206] The amplitude and duration of the electric signals in the negative and positive biases may be different as shown in the table below whilst still resulting in no net current flow over time.

TABLE-US-00001 R2 R1 U R t I Q U R t I Q Q total mV Ohm sec mA mC mV Ohm sec mA mC mC pos bias R2 800 10 60 80 4800 800 100 60 8 480 5280 neg bias R1 700 200 503 3.5 1760 700 100 503 7 3520 5280 net charge −3040 3040 0 transferred per region

[0207] Where U is the voltage applied across the porous membrane, R is the resistance of the first or second region, t is the duration over which the electrical signal is applied, I is the current which flows through each of the regions and Q is the charge. This shows that although the duration and magnitude of the opposite voltages may be different the total charge transfer following the application of both of the voltages may be zero.

[0208] The ionic diode membrane 4 may be not suited for effecting electroosmotic transport when a voltage is applied across it, for example, the pores in the ionic diode membrane may be too small to transport fluid there through. For example, the pore size may be less than 20 nm, or less than 5 nm, although the desirable pore size will depend on the fluid being transported.

[0209] When the porous membrane 1 is located between electrodes 6, 8, the electrodes may be in close proximity (e.g. within 100 nm) to the opposite surfaces of the porous membrane 1.

[0210] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2a, the electrodes 6, 8 may be in direct contact with the porous membrane 1. The electrodes 6, 8 may for example, be coated onto the porous membrane 1, such as by chemical vapor deposition techniques. Alternatively, the electrodes 6, 8 may be made of separate layers, like a textile, carbon cloth or non-woven material coated with metal or a redox couple.

[0211] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2b, the electrodes 6, 8 may be spaced from the porous membrane 1 by a distance which is approximately equal to the width of each of the electroosmotic regions 2. The gap on each side of the porous membrane 1 may be filled with a spacer 14. The spacer 14 may have a low resistance to fluid flow, e.g. large average pore size such as greater than 1 micron or more preferably greater than 10 microns, and thus not significantly interfere with the flow of fluid through the porous membrane 1.

[0212] As shown in FIG. 2b compared to FIG. 2a the space allows the electric field more distance over which to deviate towards the ionic diode membranes 4 and thus reduces the amount that partly flows through the electroosmotic membrane regions 2 in the case when a forward bias is applied across the membrane. As a result, the asymmetry of the flow properties of the membrane 1 with respect to voltage bias may be increased.

[0213] FIGS. 3a and 3b show schematic example porous membranes 1 in which an insulator 16 is located between the electroosmotic membrane region 2 and the ionic diode region 4. This can reduce the amount of, or prevent, current flowing between the electroosmotic membrane region 2 and the ionic diode region 4. The insulator also creates a distance between the first and second elements.

[0214] FIG. 4 shows a schematic of an alternative embodiment of the porous membrane 1. The porous membrane 1 comprises a first porous layer 18 and a second porous layer 20 on one of the surfaces (e.g. downstream side) of the first porous layer.

[0215] As in the other embodiments, the first porous layer 18 comprises first regions 2 and second regions 4. Similarly to the other embodiments, the first regions are a region which is designed to effect electroosmotic transport of a fluid across the region when a current flows through the region.

[0216] In this embodiment, the second regions 4 consist of an anion exchange membrane or a cation exchange membrane.

[0217] The second porous layer 20 effectively acts as a spacer so that the distance between the first electrode 6 and one of the surfaces of the first porous layer 18 is larger than the distance between the second electrode 8 and the other of the surfaces of the first porous layer 18.

[0218] The second regions 4 are more conductive than the first regions 2. Thus, when a certain voltage bias is applied between the electrodes 6, 8 such that ions flow in a direction from the second layer 20 to the first layer 18 the electric field can deviate more toward the conductive second regions 4 than when an opposite voltage bias is applied between the electrodes 6, 8 such that ions flow in a direction from the first layer 18 to the second layer 20. As a result, for a given magnitude of voltage, a greater percentage of charge in a given time will flow through the second region 4 when the certain voltage bias is applied between the electrodes 6, 8 than when the opposite voltage bias is applied. Thus, there will be less osmotic flow when the certain voltage bias is applied (as the first region 2 has better electroosmotic transport properties than the second region 4).

[0219] The sign of the ion exchanger of the second region may be equal to that of the pore walls in the first region, e.g. a cation exchanger may be used in case of a negative surface charge of the first region.

[0220] FIG. 6 shows an electroosmotic textile 30. The textile 30 is for pumping a fluid by electroosmotic transport. The textile 30 comprises a porous membrane 32. The porous membrane 32 comprises a first porous layer 34 and a second porous layer 36 which are laminated together. A first porous conductive layer 38 is laminated to the first porous layer 34 of the porous membrane 32 and a second porous conductive layer 40 is laminated to the second porous layer 36 of the porous membrane 32.

[0221] The porous membrane 32 is arranged so that when a given amount of charge flows through the porous membrane 32 from the first porous conductive layer 38 to the second porous conductive layer 40 more electroosmotic transport of the fluid will occur than when the same amount of charge flows through the porous membrane 32 from the second porous conductive layer 40 to the first porous conductive layer 38 or vice versa.

[0222] The second porous layer 36 may be a sulfonated track etched electroosmotic layer and the first porous layer 34 may be an uncharged membrane.