Granted Patent B2

US 12,630,706 · App. 17/627,154 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Dario Aurilia (Cerro Maggiore, IT); Emanuele Di Nicolo' (Gorla Minore, IT); Kelly D. Branham (Woodstock, GA); Vida Komer (Venetia, PA)

Assignee: Syensqo Specialty Polymers USA, LLC

C08L61/16B01D67/003B01D71/5221B01D71/5222B01D71/68B01D61/14B01D67/002C08L2205/025

Abstract

Claims (59)

1 . A thin film membrane [membrane (Q)], wherein the thin film membrane is formed from a composition [composition (C)], wherein the composition (C) comprises:

(a) at least one poly(aryl ether ketone) (PAEK) polymer wherein the at least one poly(aryl ether ketone) (PAEK) is a major component of the composition (C),

(b) at least one poly(aryl ether sulfone) (PAES) polymer in an amount from 10 wt. % to 45 wt. %, and

(c) at least one compound [compound(S)] comprising a sulfonate or carboxylate salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of alkaline metals, alkaline-earth metals, aluminum, iron, zinc, nickel, copper, palladium and silver, wherein the at least one compound(S) is in an amount from 10 wt. % to 50 wt. %, wherein the amounts are based on the total weight of said composition (C),

wherein the thin film membrane [membrane (Q)] has a thickness of at least 190 μm and a bubble point from 0.300 μm to 0.400 μm and

wherein the water permeability of the thin film membrane is maintained or increased as pressure is increased between 1-3 bar.

2 . The thin film membrane according to claim 1 , wherein said composition (C) comprises:

said PAEK polymer in an amount from 30 to less than 55 wt. %;

said PAES polymer in an amount higher than 20 wt. % to 40 wt. %; and

said compound(S) in an amount from 10 to less than 45 wt. %,

the amounts being based on the total weight of said composition (C).

3 . The thin film membrane according to claim 1 , wherein said PAEK polymer comprises more than 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PAEK ) comprising a Ar′—C(═O)—Ar* group, where Ar′ and Ar*, equal to or different from each other, are aromatic groups, wherein said recurring units (R PAEK ) are selected from the group consisting of units of formulae (J-A) to (J-D) below:

where

each of R′, equal to or different from each other, is selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, ether, thioether, carboxylic acid, ester, amide, imide, alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate, alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, alkyl phosphonate, amine and quaternary ammonium; and

j′ is zero or an integer ranging from 1 to 4.

4 . The thin film membrane according to claim 3 , wherein said PAEK polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) polymer comprising more than 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PAEK ) of formula (J′-A):

poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK) polymer comprising more than 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PAEK ) of formula (J′-B) and formula (J″-B):

poly(ether ketone) (PEK) polymer comprising more than 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PAEK ) of formula (J′-C):

copolymer of PEEK and poly(diphenyl ether ketone) (PEEK-PEDEK copolymer) comprising more than 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PAEK ) of formula (J′-A) (PEEK recurring unit) and formula (J′-D) (poly(diphenyl ether ketone) (PEDEK) recurring unit):

5 . The thin film membrane according to claim 1 , wherein said PAES polymer comprises at least 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PAES ) of formula (K):

where

each R, equal to or different from each other, is selected from a halogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, an aryl, an ether, a thioether, a carboxylic acid, an ester, an amide, an imide, an alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, an alkyl sulfonate, an alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, an alkyl phosphonate, an amine, and a quaternary ammonium; each h, equal to or different from each other, is an integer ranging from 0 to 4; and T is selected from the group consisting of a bond, a sulfone group [—S(═O) 2 —], and a group —C(R j )(R k )—, where R j and R k , equal to or different from each other, are selected from a hydrogen, a halogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, an ether, a thioether, a carboxylic acid, an ester, an amide, an imide, an alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, an alkyl sulfonate, an alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, an alkyl phosphonate, an amine, and a quaternary ammonium.

6 . The thin film membrane according to claim 5 , wherein said PAES polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) polymer comprising more than 50 mol. % of recurring units of formula (K′-A):

polyethersulfone (PES) polymer comprising at least 50 mol. % of recurring units of formula (K′-B):

 and

polysulfone (PSU) polymer comprising at least 50 mol. % of recurring units of formula (K′-C):

7 . The thin film membrane according to claim 1 , wherein said compound(S) complies with the following formula (I):

(R) a —Ar-(T) b   (I)

wherein

Ar is an aromatic moiety selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic monocyclic or polycyclic group having 5 to 18 carbon atoms,

a is zero or an integer ranging from 1 to 5;

when a is an integer from 1 to 5, each of R, identical or different from each other, is selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, —OH, —NH 2 , a C 1 -C 18 aliphatic group, a C 1 -C 18 cycloaliphatic group and a C 1 -C 18 aromatic group;

b is an integer ranging from 1 to 4;

each of T, identical or different from each other, is (SO 3 − )(M P+ ) 1/p or (COO − ) (M P+ ) 1/p wherein M P+ is a metal cation of p valence selected in from the group consisting of the alkaline metals, alkaline-earth metals, aluminum, iron, zinc, nickel, copper, palladium and silver.

8 . A method [method (M Q )] for the manufacture of the thin film membrane [membrane (Q)] according to claim 1 , the [membrane Q] comprising at least one porous layer [layer L Q )], said method comprising

(I) providing the composition [composition (C)];

(II) processing said composition (C) to provide pellets;

(III) melt extruding the pellets obtained in step (II), thus providing a precursor layer [layer (L P )];

(IV-a) contacting said layer (L P ) as obtained in step (III) with at least one organic solvent, thus providing an intermediate porous layer [layer (L -iQa )], or (IV-b1) contacting said layer (L P ) as obtained in step (III) with water, thus providing a first intermediate porous layer [layer (L -iQb )];

(IV-b2) contacting said layer (L -iQb ) with at least one organic solvent, thus providing a second intermediate porous layer [layer (L -iQb2 )];

(V) contacting said layer (L -iQa ) as obtained in step (IV-a) or said layer (L -iQb2 ) as obtained in step (IV-b2) with water, thus providing a porous layer [layer (L Q )].

9 . The method (M Q ) of claim 8 , wherein said step (II) comprises:

a first step of melt-extruding said PAEK polymer and said compound(S) to provide a first composition in the form of pellets; and

a second step of melt-extruding said pellets with said PAES polymer, to provide a second composition in the form of pellets.

10 . The method (M Q ) of claim 8 , wherein:

said step (IV-a) is performed by placing said at least one layer (L P ) in a first bath comprising at least one solvent [solvent(S)]; and/or

said step (IV-b1) is performed by placing said at least one layer (L P ) in a water bath to provide said at least one layer (L -iQb ) and said step (IV-b2) is performed by placing said at least one layer (L -iQb ) in a second bath comprising at least one solvent [solvent(S)].

11 . The method (M Q ) of claim 10 , wherein said at least one solvent(S) is a polar aprotic solvent.

12 . The method (M Q ) according to claim 8 , wherein after said step (V), said layer (L Q ) is dried and/or stretched and/or contacted with an alkaline.

13 . A thin film membrane [membrane (Q)] comprising at least one layer (L Q ) obtained by the method (M Q ) according to claim 8 .

14 . A method for filtering at least one fluid, said method comprising contacting said fluid with at least one membrane (Q) according to claim 13 .

15 . The thin film membrane according to claim 1 , wherein said composition (C) comprises:

said PAEK polymer in an amount ranging from 45.5 to 55 wt. %;

said PAES polymer in an amount ranging from 30 to 45 wt. %; and

said compound(S) in an amount ranging from 21 to 24.5 wt. %,

the amounts being based on the total weight of said composition (C).

16 . The thin film membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the water permeability of the thin film membrane is increased as the pressure is increased in a range of 1-3 bar.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (18)