Zenon Environmental Inc.

Her Majesty the Queen As Represented by Minister of the Environment C/o

Christopher J Lipski

Pierre Lucien Cote

Roger P Maurion

Steven Kristian Pedersen

A module is disclosed for use as a membrane device, comprising, a shell with fluid couplings removably affixed to each of its ends containing at least one cartridge having an axial conduit. The cartridge is formed with plural frameless arrays of hollow fibers of selectively permeable material. Each array is free of any means to support the fibers intermediate split-clip headers in which the fibers are held near their opposite ends, except for tension cords which may be substituted for fibers. The split-clip headers are mirror-images of each other. Each has a peripheral potting channel and longitudinal, laterally spaced apart grooves in the split-clip headers. The upper and lower sections, placed one upon the other, together form through-passages ('grooves') in which terminal portions of the fibers are snugly embraced. The fibers lie in parallel spaced-apart relationship in a plane substantially orthogonal to the axial conduit, and their ends are cut before a stack of arrays is potted. The fibers of one array lie transversely relative to those of another array. The cartridge is disposed longitudinally within the shell and comprises plural split-clip headers which when laminated, one to another, define the central axial which need not be fluid-tight but only near-fluid-tight, so the terminal portions of the fibers can be potted.

Cartridge of hybrid frameless arrays of hollow fiber membranes and

A pervaporation membrane comprises a porous, preferably microporous support which is filled from its exterior to its interior surface with a solid, non-removable organophilic polymer which exhibits permselective properties. A support so filled with the polymer and at least 20 .mu.m thick, preferably 50 .mu.m to about 200 .mu.m thick, referred to as a 'thick' film, will preferentially block out water in which a target component is dispersed, yet allow diffusion of the target component. The polymer is forced through the pores of the support, which pores, before they are filled, provided open fluid communication between the opposed interior and exterior surfaces of the support. Preferably, impregnated polymer exudes through and overflows the pores, spreading upon the opposed surfaces of the porous support, and providing opposed coextensive films on either side of the porous support, the films being interconnected by microtendrils of polymer in the pores and channels of the support. A module having microporous hollow fiber membranes is impregnated after the module is constructed. The fibers are through-impregnated with a solution of the polymer and the excess swept away with a sweep gas. In a process for separating plural target components from an aqueous stream, the pervaporation module with 'thick film' pervaporation membranes, will provide a separation factor at least double that of a conventional module with 'thin film' membranes coated upon a microporous support and not filling its pores.

Supported pervaporation membrane and module containing arrays of

A module is disclosed for use as a membrane device, comprising, a shell with fluid couplings removably affixed to each of its ends. A stack is formed with plural frameless arrays of hollow fibers of selectively permeable material. Each array is free of any means to support the fibers intermediate split-clip headers in which the fibers are held near their opposite ends. The split-clip headers are identical. Each has longitudinal, laterally spaced apart grooves in the inner surfaces of upper and lower sections from which the split-clip header is formed. The grooves in each section placed one upon the other, together form a through-passage in which a terminal portion of a fiber is snugly embraced. The fibers lie in parallel spaced-apart relationship in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction of flow of said feedstream. The fibers of one array lie transversely to those of another array. The stack is disposed longitudinally within the shell and comprises plural split-clip headers which when laminated, one to another, define a fluid-tight conduit with open ends through which a feedstream is flowed transversely over the fibers. The bores of the fibers are in open fluid communication with the permeate zone in the shell.

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Burlington, Canada

Christopher J Lipski