IP Library Granted Patent US 12685971
Granted Patent B2
US 12685971 · App. 18/289,561 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Aeration module

Inventors: Fumihiro Hayashi (Osaka, JP); Takamasa Hashimoto (Osaka, JP); Yoshimasa Suzuki (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC FINE POLYMER, INC.
B01D69/08B01D69/02B01D71/36B01F23/237611B01D2325/02B01D2325/04B01F2101/305
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12685971
App. No.
18/289,561
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An aeration module capable of aerating a liquid supplied to inner portions of hollow-fiber membranes includes a housing containing a fluororesin as a main component, and a plurality of the hollow-fiber membranes containing polytetrafluoroethylene or a modified polytetrafluoroethylene as a main component. A porosity K [%], an average thickness T 1 [mm], and an average outer diameter D 2 [mm] of the hollow-fiber membranes satisfy a relation of a formula of K/(T 1 ×D 2 ×100)≥2.0.

Claims (33)

1 . An aeration module capable of aerating a liquid supplied to inner portions of hollow-fiber membranes, comprising:

a housing containing a fluororesin as a main component; and

a plurality of the hollow-fiber membranes containing polytetrafluoroethylene or a modified polytetrafluoroethylene as a main component,

wherein a porosity K [%], an average thickness T 1 [mm], and an average outer diameter D 2 [mm] of the hollow-fiber membranes satisfy a relation of a formula (1) below:

K

/

(

T

1

×

D

2

×

100

)

2.

;

(

1

)

wherein the hollow-fiber membranes have a heat of fusion of 30 J/g to 45 J/g, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wherein the heat of fusion is defined as an integrated endothermic heat amount from 296° C. to 343° C. obtained in a third heating step of a DSC measurement that includes a first heating step, a second heating step, and the third heating step, and

wherein the hollow-fiber membranes have an average outer diameter D 2 of 0.70 mm or less, an average inner diameter D 1 of 0.32 mm or less, and a porosity K of 30% or more.

2 . The aeration module according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow-fiber membranes have a water pressure resistance of 0.3 MPa or more.

3 . The aeration module according to claim 1 , wherein when pure water with a dissolved oxygen concentration of 0.6 ppm or less is supplied to the inner portions of the hollow-fiber membranes and air is caused to permeate at a pressure of 10 kPa, a maximum flow rate per minute at which the pure water after aeration treatment is capable of maintaining a dissolved oxygen concentration of 8 ppm or more is 0.035 mL/(cm 2 ·min) or more relative to a unit inner surface area of the hollow-fiber membranes.

4 . The aeration module according to claim 1 , wherein the main component of the housing is a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, or a combination thereof.

5 . The aeration module according to claim 2 , wherein when pure water with a dissolved oxygen concentration of 0.6 ppm or less is supplied to the inner portions of the hollow-fiber membranes and air is caused to permeate at a pressure of 10 kPa, a maximum flow rate per minute at which the pure water after aeration treatment is capable of maintaining a dissolved oxygen concentration of 8 ppm or more is 0.035 mL/(cm 2 ·min) or more relative to a unit inner surface area of the hollow-fiber membranes.

6 . The aeration module according to claim 2 , wherein the main component of the housing is a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, or a combination thereof.

7 . The aeration module according to claim 3 , wherein the main component of the housing is a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, or a combination thereof.

8 . The aeration module according to claim 5 , wherein the main component of the housing is a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, or a combination thereof.

9 . The aeration module according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow-fiber membranes have an average pore size of 5.2 nm to 9.4 nm.