Package assembly for piperazine-based membranes

1. A package assembly comprising a sealed water-impermeable bag enclosing:

a spiral wound filtration element comprising a piperazine-based membrane in contact with an aqueous solution comprising a substantially non-oxidizable buffer in an amount sufficient to sequester at least 0.0075 moles per liter of hydrogen ions while maintaining a pH above about 4, wherein the solution further comprises at least 0.0050 moles per liter of a reducing agent that releases hydrogen ions upon oxidation, and wherein the reducing agent comprises an aldehyde, provided that the aldehyde is not formaldehyde.

2. A package assembly comprising a sealed water-impermeable bag enclosing: a spiral wound filtration element comprising a piperazine-based membrane, an aqueous buffer solution comprising a substantially non-oxidizable buffer in an amount sufficient to sequester at least 0.0075 moles per liter of hydrogen ions while maintaining a pH above 4,

wherein the bag has an oxygen permeability of less than 1 cc/m 2 /day at 115° F.

3. The package assembly of claim 2 , wherein the bag contains a metal layer.

4. A package assembly comprising a sealed water-impermeable bag enclosing:

a spiral wound filtration element comprising a piperazine-based membrane in contact with an aqueous solution comprising a substantially non-oxidizable buffer having capacity to sequester at least 0.0075 moles per liter of hydrogen ions while maintaining a pH above about 4, wherein the buffer comprises a salt of phosphoric acid.

5. A package assembly comprising a sealed water-impermeable bag enclosing:

a spiral wound filtration element comprising a piperazine-based membrane in contact with an aqueous solution comprising a substantially non-oxidizable buffer having capacity to sequester at least 0.0075 moles per liter of hydrogen ions while maintaining a pH above about 4, wherein the buffered solution contains at least 458 mg/L HCO 3 − ions.

6. A package assembly comprising a sealed water-impermeable bag enclosing:

a spiral wound filtration element comprising a piperazine-based membrane, an aqueous buffer solution comprising a substantially non-oxidizable buffer having capacity to sequester at least 0.0075 moles per liter of hydrogen ions while maintaining a pH above about 4, and

a high-temperature sensor that changes irreversibly in response to elevated temperature.

7. The package assembly of claim 6 , wherein said sensor indicates a response to exposure to a specified temperature in excess of 100° F.

8. The package assembly of claim 6 , wherein the response of the high-temperature sensor is a function of both time and temperature, and the required time for transition decreases with increasing temperature.

9. The package assembly of claim 6 , wherein the high temperature sensor responds incrementally and the response range encompasses six months at 115° F.

10. An improved method of packaging a spiral wound filtration element comprising a piperazine-based membrane wherein the filtration element is in contact with an aqueous solution of sodium bisulfite in a sealed bag, the improvement comprising:

protecting the filtration element from damage to the membrane at temperatures greater than 130° F. during storage or shipping, and in the presence of an acid, by adding to the aqueous solution a substantially non-oxidizable buffer in an amount effective to sequester at least 0.0075 moles per liter of hydrogen ions and to maintain a pH of the aqueous solution above about 4.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the aqueous solution further comprises at least 0.0050 moles per liter of a reducing agent that releases hydrogen ions upon oxidation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially non-oxidizable buffer within the solution is added in an amount sufficient to sequester both the hydrogen ions released by complete oxidation of the reducing agent and at least 0.0025 moles per liter of additional hydrogen ions.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the solution maintains a pH greater than 4.5 after complete oxidation of the reducing agent.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bag has an oxygen permeability of less than 20 cc/m 2 /day at 68° F.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bag comprises a metallized polymer film.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bag comprises a polymer laminate, comprising at least one polymer layer, and a layer of a metal foil laminated to at least one side of the polymer layer.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the buffer is present at a concentration of at least 338 mg/L as an equivalent free acid of the buffer.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the buffer comprises a salt of an acid selected from formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid and sorbic acid.

19. The method of claim 10 , whereby the spiral wound filtration element has less than 1 % salt passage, when tested using 2000 ppm MgSO4 and 70 psi applied pressure, after soaking in the aqueous solution having an initial pH of 7 and the substantially non-oxidizable buffer for 16 weeks at 130° F., and wherein said piperazine-based membrane also has greater than 5% salt passages, when tested using 2000 ppm MgSO 4 and 70 psi applied pressure, after soaking in the aqueous solution having an initial pH adjusted to pH 2 with H 2 SO 4 for 16 weeks at 130° F.

20. The method of claim 10 , whereby the spiral wound filtration element has less than 0.5% salt passage, when tested using 2000 ppm MgSO 4 and 70 psi applied pressure, after soaking in the aqueous solution having an initial pH of 7 and the substantially non-oxidizable buffer for 16 weeks at 130° F.