Porous hollow fiber membrane, method for producing porous hollow fiber membrane and filtration method

1. A method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane, comprising the steps of:

mixing and melt-kneading a thermoplastic resin, a non-solvent that does not uniformly dissolve the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower, and an inorganic compound to produce a kneaded product; and

discharging the kneaded product.

2. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the non-solvent consists of a mixed liquid of at least one organic liquid or more.

3. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 2 , wherein

the organic liquid is at least one selected from sebacic acid esters, citric acid esters, acetyl citric acid esters, adipic acid esters, trimellitic acid esters, oleic acid esters, palmitic acid esters, stearic acid esters, phosphoric acid esters, C6-C30 fatty acids, and epoxidized vegetable oils.

4. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the organic liquid is a non-solvent that does not uniformly dissolve the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower or a solvent that uniformly dissolves the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower.

5. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the second organic liquid is a solvent that uniformly dissolves the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower.

6. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is a thermoplastic resin that contains, in its molecule, at least one selected from vinylidene fluoride, ethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinyl fluoride.

7. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic compound is at least one selected from silica, lithium chloride and titanium oxide.

8. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the non-solvent is a single solvent.

9. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 8 , wherein the non-solvent is at least one selected from sebacic acid esters, acetyl citric acid esters, citric acid esters, adipic acid esters, trimellitic acid esters, oleic acid esters, palmitic acid esters, stearic acid esters, phosphoric acid esters, phosphorous esters, C6-C30 fatty acids, and epoxidized vegetable oils.

10. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is an ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer.

11. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 10 , wherein the non-solvent is a plasticizer selected from stearic acid esters, phosphoric acid esters and C6-C30 fatty acids.

12. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 8 , wherein the inorganic compound is at least one selected from silica, lithium chloride and titanium oxide.

13. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is a fluorinated thermoplastic resin.

14. The method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the non-solvent is at least one selected from sebacic acid esters, citric acid esters, acetyl citric acid esters, adipic acid esters, trimellitic acid esters, oleic acid esters, palmitic acid esters, stearic acid esters, phosphoric acid esters, C6-C30 fatty acids, and epoxidized vegetable oils.

15. A method for producing a porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is not dissolved in the kneaded product.

16. A porous hollow fiber membrane containing a thermoplastic resin, a solvent and an inorganic compound, wherein the solvent is a non-solvent that does not uniformly dissolve the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower.

17. A filtration method comprising passing liquid through the porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 16 .

18. A porous hollow fiber membrane according to claim 16 , wherein an elongation retention after immersion in NaOH is 60% or more.

19. A porous hollow fiber membrane containing a thermoplastic resin, a solvent and an inorganic compound, wherein

the thermoplastic resin is a thermoplastic resin that contains, in its molecule, at least one selected from vinylidene fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinyl fluoride;

the solvent is a non-solvent that does not uniformly dissolve the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower; and

a sum of areas of resin portions each having an area of 1 μm 2 or less is 70% or more to a total area of the resin portions in each region of a total of four fields of view including, in an SEM image of a membrane cross-section in a membrane thickness direction orthogonal to an inner surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane, a field of view including the inner surface, a field of view including an outer surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane and two fields of view taken at equal intervals between these fields of view.

20. A porous hollow fiber membrane containing a thermoplastic resin, a solvent and an inorganic compound, wherein

the thermoplastic resin is a thermoplastic resin that contains, in its molecule, at least one selected from vinylidene fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinyl fluoride;

the solvent is a non-solvent that does not uniformly dissolve the thermoplastic resin of one-quarter mass at a boiling point or 250° C., whichever is lower; and

a sum of areas of resin portions each having an area of 10 μm 2 or more is 15% or less to a total area of the resin portions in each region of a total of four fields of view including, in an SEM image of a membrane cross-section in a membrane thickness direction orthogonal to an inner surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane, a field of view including the inner surface, a field of view including an outer surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane and two fields of view taken at equal intervals between these fields of view.

21. A porous hollow fiber membrane containing a thermoplastic resin, a solvent and an inorganic compound, wherein

the thermoplastic resin is one of ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene-monochlorotrifluoroethylene and vinylidene fluoride, ethylene, trifluoroethylene copolymers; and

a sum of areas of resin portions each having an area of 1 μm 2 or less is 70% or more to a total area of the resin portions in each region of a total of four fields of view including, in an SEM image of a membrane cross-section in a membrane thickness direction orthogonal to an inner surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane, a field of view including the inner surface, a field of view including an outer surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane and two fields of view taken at equal intervals between these fields of view.

22. A porous hollow fiber membrane containing a thermoplastic resin, a solvent and an inorganic compound, wherein

the thermoplastic resin is one of ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene-monochlorotrifluoroethylene and vinylidene fluoride, ethylene, trifluoroethylene copolymers; and

a sum of areas of resin portions each having an area of 10 μm 2 or more is 15% or less to a total area of the resin portions in each region of a total of four fields of view including, in an SEM image of a membrane cross-section in a membrane thickness direction orthogonal to an inner surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane, a field of view including the inner surface, a field of view including an outer surface of the porous hollow fiber membrane and two fields of view taken at equal intervals between these fields of view.