Zenon Technology Partnership

General Electric Company

Attila Palinkas

Robert Szabo

Steven Kristian Pedersen

Gabor Bakos

Marcell Marschall

Hollow fiber membranes are potted by injecting a liquid material into a substantially closed cavity () containing the fibers. The cavity may be formed in part by the interaction of a mold a permeate pan () and a layer of an adhesive pre-applied to a bundle of the membranes.

Header for module of hollow fiber membranes and method of potting hollow fibers

A hollow fiber membrane is made by covering a tubular supporting structure with a membrane dope and converting the membrane dope into a solid porous membrane wall. Optionally, a textile reinforcing structure in the form of a circular knit may be added around the supporting structure before it is covered in dope. The reinforcing structure thereby becomes embedded in the membrane wall. The supporting structure may be soluble in a non-solvent of the membrane wall, for example water, and may be removed from the membrane. Alternatively, the supporting structure may be porous. A porous supporting structure may be made by a non-woven textile process, a sintering process within an extrusion machine, or by extruding a polymer mixed with a second component. The second component may be a soluble solid or liquid, a super-critical gas, or a second polymer that does not react with the first polymer.

Supported hollow fiber membrane

Hollow fiber membranes are potted by injection molding a thermoplastic material into a cavity containing the fibers. The cavity is formed in part by the interaction of a mold and a layer of an adhesive pre-applied to a bundle of the membranes.

Growing community of inventors

Budapest, Hungary

Attila Palinkas