Company Filing History:
Years Active: 2017-2018
Title: Innovations by Inventor Alexis Foster
Introduction
Alexis Foster is a prominent inventor based in Los Angeles, CA. She has made significant contributions to the field of membrane technology, particularly in water treatment processes. With a total of 3 patents, her work focuses on enhancing the efficiency of membranes used in various applications.
Latest Patents
One of her latest patents involves additives for salt rejection enhancement of a membrane. This invention provides an interfacial polymerization process for preparing a thin film composite membrane, which can be utilized for nanofiltration, forward osmosis, or reverse osmosis, especially with brackish water or seawater. The process includes contacting a porous support membrane with an aqueous phase containing a polyamine to form a coated support membrane. An organic phase containing a polyfunctional acyl halide is then applied to interfacially polymerize the polyamine and the polyfunctional acyl halide, forming a discrimination layer of the thin film composite membrane. During this process, the polyfunctional acyl halide is purified in situ by removing hydrolyzed acyl halide through the addition of a salt rejection-enhancing additive that includes a biguanide compound, dicarbonate compound, pentathiodicarbonate compound, or salt thereof.
Another notable patent by Foster is related to chemical additives for enhancing water flux of a membrane. This invention also employs an interfacial polymerization process to prepare a highly permeable thin film composite membrane, suitable for nanofiltration, forward osmosis, or reverse osmosis, particularly under low energy conditions. The process involves contacting a porous support membrane with an aqueous phase containing a polyamine and a flux-enhancing combination of additives, including a metal chelate additive and a phosphoramide. This results in a coated support membrane that undergoes interfacial polymerization with a polyfunctional acid halide to form the discrimination layer of the thin film composite membrane.
Career Highlights
Throughout her career, Alexis Foster has worked with notable companies such as LG Nanoh2o, Inc. and LG Baboh2o, Inc. Her innovative approaches have significantly advanced the field of membrane technology.
Collaborations
Foster has collaborated with talented individuals in her field, including Jeff Koehler and Keunwon Song. These partnerships have contributed to her success and the development of her groundbreaking inventions.
Conclusion