Coated membranes and other articles

1. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer, said terpolymer comprising at least two monofunctional monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylamides, methacrylamides, and N-vinyl pyrrolidones, and at least one polyfunctional monomer selected from the group consisting of polyfunctional acrylamides, polyfunctional methacrylamides, and diacroylpiperazines;

wherein said surface coating is formed in situ on said membrane substrate by a method comprising exposing said monomers to heat, ultraviolet light or electron beam;

provided that when said monofunctional monomer comprises an acrylamide that comprises diacetone acrylamide, said diacetone acrylamide is present in an amount of no more than 37.5% by weight of said surface.

2. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said crosslinked terpolymer comprises at least one monofunctional monomer that is an acrylamide, wherein the acrylamide nitrogen of said acrylamide is substituted with at least one gem dialkyl substituted carbon.

3. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said crosslinked terpolymer is a copolymer formed from methylene-bis-acrylamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, and either of dimethylacrylamide or diacetone acrylamide.

4. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said microporous membrane substrate is formed from one or more of the group consisting of aromatic sulfone polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluorinated thermoplastic polymers, polyolefin polymers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, and polyvinylidene difluoride.

5. The membrane of claim 4 wherein said crosslinked terpolymer comprises at least one monofunctional monomer that is an acrylamide, wherein the acrylamide nitrogen of said acrylamide is substituted with at least one gem dialkyl substituted carbon.

6. The membrane of claim 4 wherein said crosslinked terpolymer is a copolymer formed from methylene-bis-acrylamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, and either of dimethylacrylamide or diacetone acrylamide.

7. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the crosslinked terpolymer further comprises a supplemental property modifying monomer.

8. The membrane of claim 7 wherein said supplemental property modifying monomer is selected from the group consisting of (3-(methacryloylamino) propyl)trimethylammonium chloride, (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid and aminopropylmethacrylamide.

9. The membrane of claim 4 wherein two of said monofunctional monomers are present in the ratio of about 1 to about 5 by weight.

10. The membrane of claim 4 wherein two of said monofunctional monomers are present in the ratio of about 1 to about 2.

11. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the total amount of said monofunctional monomers present is from about 0.5% to about 20% by weight.

12. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the total amount of said monofunctional monomers present is from about 2% to about 10% .

13. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the total amount of said monofunctional monomers present is from about 4% to about 8% by weight.

14. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the ratio of the total amount of monofunctional comonomers to polyfunctional crosslinker monomer is about 1 to about 10 by weight.

15. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the ratio of the total amount of monofunctional comonomers to polyfunctional crosslinker monomer is about 2 to about 6 by weight.

16. The membrane of claim 4 wherein the heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is hydrophilic.

17. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer,

said crosslinked terpolymer is a copolymer formed from dimethylacrylamide, diacetone acrylamide, and methylene-bis-acrylamide; provided that diacetone acrylamide is present in an amount of no more than 37.5% by weight of said surface;

wherein said surface coating is formed in situ on said membrane substrate by a method comprising exposing said monomers to heat, ultraviolet light or electron beam.

18. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer,

said crosslinked terpolymer is a copolymer formed from dimethylacrylamide, diacetone acrylamide, and methylene-bis-acrylamide; provided that diacetone acrylamide is present in an amount of no more than 37.5% by weight of said surface;

wherein said surface coating is formed in situ on said membrane substrate by a method comprising exposing said monomers to heat, ultraviolet light or electron beam;

wherein said microporous membrane substrate is formed from one or more of the group consisting of aromatic sulfone polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluorinated thermoplastic polymers, polyolefin polymers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, and polyvinylidene difluoride.

19. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a polyvinylidene difluoride microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer, said crosslinked terpolymer being a copolymer formed from either:

(a) methylene-bis-acrylamide, dimethylacrylamide, and diacetone acrylamide; or

(b) methylene-bis-acrylamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, and either of dimethylacrylamide or diacetone acrylamide;

said terpolymer being formed by a method comprising use of heat or ultraviolet light to produce said terpolymer; and

said diacetone acrylamide being present in an amount of no more than 37.5% by weight of said surface.

20. The membrane of claim 19 wherein said crosslinked terpolymer is a copolymer formed from methylene-bis-acrylamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, and either of dimethylacrylamide or diacetone acrylamide.

21. The membrane of claim 19 wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating; said surface coating comprising a crosslinked terpolymer; said crosslinked terpolymer comprising:

at least one polyfunctional monomer selected from the group consisting of polyfunctional acrylamide monomers, polyfunctional methacrylamide monomers, and diacroylpiperazines; and

at least two different monofunctional monomers selected from the group of N-vinyl pyrrolidone monomers and monomers having the formula:

wherein:

R 1 is —H or CH 3 ,

R 2 is H or C 1 -C 6 , preferably C 1 -C 3 alkyl, either linear or branched,

R 3 is H or C 1 -C 6 , preferably C 1 -C 3 alkyl, either linear or branched, or C(CH 3 ) 2 CH 2 C(═O)CH 3 , or (P═O)((NCH 3 ) 2 ) 2 , or C═ON(CH 3 ) 2 , or CH 2 —O—R 4 , where R 4 is C 1 -C 5 alkyl, either linear or branched, or (CH 2 -CH 2 —O)n-R 5 , where R 5 is —H or —CH 3 , and n=2 or 3; provided that R 2 and R 3 are not simultaneously H.

22. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a polyvinylidene difluoride microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer,

wherein said crosslinked terpolymer is a copolymer formed from methylene-bis- acrylamide, dimethylacrylamide, and diacetone acrylamide;

said diacetone acrylamide being present in an amount of no more than 37.5% by weight of said surface;

said terpolymer being formed by a method comprising use of heat or ultraviolet light to produce said terpolymer.

23. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer, said terpolymer being a copolymer formed from dimethylacrylamide, diacetone acrylamide, and methylene-bis-acrylamide; said diacetone acrylamide being present in an amount of up to 37.5% by weight of said surface.

24. The membrane of claim 23 wherein said microporous membrane substrate is formed from one or more of the group consisting of aromatic sulfone polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluorinated thermoplastic polymers, polyolefin polymers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, and polyvinylidene difluoride.

25. A clean, caustic resistant, porous membrane comprising a microporous membrane substrate and a heat stable biomolecule resistant surface, wherein said heat stable biomolecule resistant surface is a separately formed surface coating which comprises a crosslinked terpolymer, said terpolymer being a copolymer formed from methylene-bis-acrylamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, and either of dimethylacrylamide or diacetone acrylamide; provided that when said surface comprises diacetone acrylamide, said diacetone acrylamide is present in an amount of no more than 37.5% by weight of said surface.

26. The membrane of claim 25 wherein said microporous membrane substrate is formed from one or more of the group consisting of aromatic sulfone polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluorinated thermoplastic polymers, polyolefin polymers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, and polyvinylidene difluoride.