Carbon-containing Membrane for Water and Gas Separation

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This invention describes a multi-layer membrane device made from metal or ceramic materials, featuring a macro-porous substrate, one or more meso-porous intermediate layers, and at least one micro-porous cover layer comprised of graphite oxide or multiple layers of graphene oxide or graphene. The membrane is chemically, mechanically, and thermally stable and is designed for the efficient separation of water and small gas molecules from mixtures. The structure of the membrane enables precise molecular sieving based on the size and properties of the molecules, making it highly selective for targets like hydrogen or helium, while blocking larger molecules.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Water purification and desalination processes, including removing water from organic solvents
• Industrial gas separation, such as isolating hydrogen or helium from gas mixtures
• Chemical process industries requiring molecular-level separation of gases or liquids
• Applications demanding membranes that withstand high temperature, pressure, and harsh chemical environments
• CO2 separation from other gases, especially in energy or environmental engineering
• Pharmaceutical industry for solvent drying and purification processes
• Advanced filtration in electronics or semiconductor manufacturing

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Exceptional chemical, mechanical, and thermal stability, enabling use under high temperature and pressure
• High selectivity and permeability for small molecules like water, hydrogen, or helium, improving separation efficiency
• Molecular sieving capability down to sub-nanometer levels
• Customizable pore and layer structure to target specific molecules or adapt to different applications
• Longer operational lifetime compared to polymer membranes due to robust ceramic/metal-graphene design
• Scalable manufacturing processes compatible with industrial-sized membrane modules
• Potential for reversible tuning of hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties and permeability via controlled thermal treatment

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-layer, metal or ceramic membrane device comprising a macro-porous substrate layer having pores with a pore diameter greater than 50 nm, and at least one meso-porous intermediate layer arranged thereon and having pores with a pore diameter of 2 to 50 nm. The membrane device according to the invention additionally comprises at least one micro-porous covering layer arranged on the meso-porous intermediate layer and having pores with an average pore diameter of 0.3 to 1.5 nm, comprising graphite oxide or few-layered graphene oxide or graphite or few-layered graphene. In an advantageous embodiment, the covering layer comprises between 5 and 1000 layers of graphene oxide. Via at least partial reduction of the graphene oxide, in an advantageous embodiment, the cover layer can comprise between 5 and 1000 layers of partially reduced graphene oxide or graphene. The multi-layer, chemically and mechanically stable and temperature resistant membrane device according to the invention, comprising the functional micro-porous graphene oxide or graphene-containing covering layer, is advantageously suitable for use in water separation or water purification, or also for gas separation.