Devices including a membrane formed from a curable composition

Abstract

A device selected from the group consisting of an electrodialysis or reverse electrodialysis unit, an electrodeionization module and a flow through capacitor, the device comprising a membrane obtained from a process comprising the following steps: applying a curable composition to a support; and curing the composition to form a membrane; wherein the curable composition comprises: (i) 2.5 to 50 wt % crosslinker comprising at least two acrylamide groups; (ii) 12 to 65 wt % curable ionic compound comprising an ethylenically unsaturated group and a cationic group; (iii) 10 to 70 wt % solvent; (iv) 0 to 10 wt % of free radical initiator; and (v) non-curable salt comprising a cation and an anion, wherein the anion is not sulfate; wherein the molar ratio of (i):ii) is greater than 0.10 and less than 5.

Claims

1. A device selected from the group consisting of an electrodialysis or reverse electrodialysis unit, an electrodeionization module and a flow through capacitor, the device comprising a membrane obtained from a process comprising the following steps: applying a curable composition to a support; and curing the composition to form a membrane; wherein the curable composition comprises: (i) 2.5 to 50 wt % crosslinker comprising at least two acrylamide groups; (ii) 12 to 65 wt % curable ionic compound comprising an ethylenically unsaturated group and a cationic group; (iii) 10 to 70 wt % solvent; (iv) 0 to 10 wt % of free radical initiator; and (v) non-curable salt comprising a cation and an anion, wherein the anion is not sulfate; wherein the molar ratio of (i):(ii) is greater than 0.10 and less than 5.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device is an electrodialysis or reverse electrodialysis unit.

3. The device according to claim 2 which further comprises at least one anode and at least one cathode.

4. The device according to claim 3 which further comprises an inlet for providing a flow of salty water along a first side of the membrane and an inlet for providing a flow of a less salty water along a second side of the membrane such that ions pass from the first side to the second side of the membrane.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device is a flow through capacitor.

6. The device according to claim 5 which further comprises at least one anode and at least one cathode.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device is an electrodeionization module.

8. The device according to claim 7 which further comprises at least one anode and at least one cathode.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein the composition comprises: (i) 5 to 35 wt % crosslinker comprising at least two acrylamide groups; (ii) 20 to 65 wt % curable ionic compound comprising an ethylenically unsaturated group and a cationic group; and (iii) 16 to 45 wt % solvent; (iv) 0.01 to 2 wt % of photoinitiator; and (v) 3 to 40 wt % of non-curable salt comprising a cation and an anion, wherein the anion is not sulfate; wherein the molar ratio of (i):(ii) is at least 0.15.

10. The device according to claim 9 wherein the device is an electrodialysis or reverse electrodialysis unit.

11. The device according to claim 10 which further comprises at least one anode and at least one cathode.

12. The device according to claim 11 which further comprises an inlet for providing a flow of salty water along a first side of the membrane and an inlet for providing a flow of a less salty water along a second side of the membrane such that ions pass from the first side to the second side of the membrane.

13. The device according to claim 9 wherein the device is a flow through capacitor.

14. The device according to claim 13 which further comprises at least one anode and at least one cathode.

15. The device according to claim 9 wherein the device is an electrodeionization module.

16. The device according to claim 15 which further comprises at least one anode and at least one cathode.

Description

EXAMPLES 1 TO 15 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES 1 AND 2

(1) Curable compositions CC1 to CC15 according to the invention and comparative curable compositions CE1 and CE2 were prepared by mixing the ingredients (expressed in wt %) shown in Table 1 at 80 C.

(2) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Ingredient CC1 CC2 CC3 CC4 CC5 CC6 CC7 CC8 CC9 CC10 ATMAC 44.0 43.1 42.4 40.4 40.0 38.1 38.4 33.5 32.8 27.5 (ii) MBA (i) 5.1 6.3 6.8 8.8 9.9 10.6 10.6 12.5 15.8 16.7 BAHP (i) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 HDMAP 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.7 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 Water* 30.7 30.0 29.4 28.5 20.6 27.6 27.7 24.9 25.3 30.8 IPA 0 0 0 0 8.4 0 0 0 0 0 LiBr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28.2 0 0 LiNO.sub.3 19.1 19.7 20.4 21.3 20.4 22.7 22.3 0 25.1 24.2 Molar ratio 0.16 0.19 0.21 0.29 0.33 0.37 0.37 0.50 0.65 0.82 (i):(ii) (%) 86.2 86.5 89.9 89.5 88.0 88.0 91.0 90.6 90.0 87.4 ER 0.48 0.37 1.43 0.91 1.15 1.48 1.02 0.92 1.14 4.15 (ohm .Math. cm.sup.2) Ingredient CC11 CC12 CC13 CC14 CC15 CE1 CE2 ATMAC (ii) 28.0 24.8 21.1 17.8 13.6 45.5 8.8 MBA (i) 19.0 19.0 21.8 0 0 2.4 0 BAHP (i) 0 0 0 40.7 43.6 0 47.1 HDMAP 1.0 0.8 0.8 1.7 1.9 1.3 2.0 Water* 24.0 29.7 29.0 36.4 37.3 33.0 38.2 LiNO.sub.3 28.0 25.7 27.3 3.4 3.6 17.8 3.9 Molar ratio (i):(ii) 0.91 1.03 1.39 2.27 3.19 0.07 5.32 (%) 89.2 86.5 86.4 90.0 90.6 79.9 86.0 ER (ohm .Math. cm.sup.2) 1.40 2.41 3.17 7.93 9.47 0.27 13.6 *The water included MeHQ polymerization inhibitor (ca. 1000 ppm).

(3) The curable compositions were applied to applied to an aluminium underground carrier using a 150 m wire wound bar, at a speed of approximately 5 m/min by hand, followed by application of a non-woven support (Novatexx 2597) levelled using a wire wound rod coater to a thickness of 4 micrometers. The temperature of the curable compositions was 50 C. A membrane was prepared by curing the coated support using a Light Hammer LH6 from Fusion UV Systems fitted with a D-bulb working at 100% intensity with a speed of 30 m/min (single pass). The exposure time was 0.47 seconds. After curing, the membrane was stored in a 0.1 M NaCl solution for at least 12 hours.

(4) The permselectivity ( (%)) and electrical resistivity (ER) of the resultant membranes were as shown in Table 1.

EXAMPLES 16 TO 19

(5) Curable compositions CC16 to CC19 according to the invention were prepared by mixing the ingredients shown in an analogous manner to Examples 1 to 15 using the ingredients listed in Table 2.

(6) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Ingredient CC16 CC17 CC18 CC19 ATMAC (ii) 31 26 26 26 MBA (i) 21 18 18 18 HDMAP 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Water 28 28 28 28 IPA 0 10 0 0 MeOH 0 0 10 0 EtOH 0 0 0 10 LiCl 19 17 17 17 Molar ratio (i):(ii) 0.91 0.93 0.93 0.93 (%) 89.4 89.4 88.8 88.8 ER (ohm .Math. cm2) 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.2 *The water included MeHQ polymerization inhibitor (ca. 1000 ppm).

(7) CC16 to CC19 were applied to Novatexx 2426 support by the method described in Example 1.

(8) The permselectivity ( (%)) and electrical resistivity (ER) of the resultant membranes were as shown above in Table 2.