BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures and in which:
FIGS. 1A and 1B are graphs of the percent sodium chloride rejection for commercial polyamide membranes as a function of exposure to chlorine over time;
FIG. 2A is a synthesis schematic for hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymers, while FIGS. 2B-2F are examples of sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymers;
FIG. 3 is an apparatus for measuring salt diffusivity and solubility, from which salt permeability can be calculated;
FIG. 4 is a diffusion cell apparatus for direct salt permeability measurement;
FIG. 5 is an illustration of a pulse sequence schematic for PGSE NMR;
FIG. 6 is a synthesis scheme for BisSF hydrophobic oligomers;
FIG. 7 is an image of a NMR spectrum of a BisSF oligomer;
FIG. 8 is a synthesis scheme for BPS100 hydrophilic oligomers;
FIG. 9 is an image of a NMR spectrum of a BPS100 oligomer;
FIG. 10 is a synthesis scheme of BisSF—BPSH multi-block copolymers;
FIGS. 11A and 11B are NMR spectrums of a BisSF—BPSH hydrophilic-hydrophobic multi-block copolymer;
FIG. 12 is a NMR spectrum of BisSF—BPSH copolymers with increasing block lengths;
FIGS. 13A-13H illustrate different embodiments of the sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer;
FIG. 14A is a table comparing the properties of sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymers, FIGS. 14B and 14C are structures of sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer and FIG. 14D is a table comparing the properties of various copolymers;
FIG. 15A illustrates the general structure of the sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer and FIGS. 15B-15G are graphs characterizing the sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer;
FIGS. 16A and 16B are graphs used to characterize salt permeability of sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer;
FIGS. 17A and 17B are schematics of sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic block copolymers; FIG. 17C to FIG. 17D are atomic force microscopy images of the sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic block copolymers; and FIG. 17E is a graph of the water and salt transport of sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic block copolymers;
FIGS. 18A-18C are graphs that illustrate the effect of hydration on NaCl diffusivity, NaCl solubility and NaCl permeability for sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic block copolymers having different chemical structures;
FIG. 19 is a tetrafunctional epoxy resin for cross-linking the BPS-xx copolymers;
FIG. 20 is a schematic of the synthesis of phenoxide terminated BPS-xx copolymer;
FIGS. 21A-21C are plots characterizing the phenoxide terminated BPS-xx copolymer;
FIG. 22 is a graph characterizing water uptake as a function if polymer structure;
FIG. 23 is a plot of the membrane performance under continuous exposure to free chlorine for sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer;
FIGS. 24A and 24B are graphs of the fouling of a commercial AG reverse osmosis membrane and sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymers of the present invention by proteins;
FIGS. 25A and 25B are graphs of the fouling of a commercial AG reverse osmosis membrane and sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymers of the present invention by oily water;
FIGS. 26A and 26B are graphs illustrating arsenic rejection by sulfonated hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer membranes of FIG. 26C; and
FIG. 27 is a graph of the trade-off relationship between permeate flux and NaCl passage for sulfonated polysulfone membranes.
Patent Application
20070163951
