Siemens Water Technologies Pte. Ltd.

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Campbell Soup Company

Daniel Edward Mullette

Heinz-Joachim Muller

Joachim Muller

Neeta Patel

Natalie May

Embodiments herein relate to stabilized, whole-grain flour, food products including such stabilized, whole-grain flour, and methods of making stabilized, whole-grain flour and food products including the same. In an embodiment, a method of making a stable, whole grain flour is included. Whole grain wheat flour made using this method has shown exceptional biscuit and cracker making functionality producing high quality end products. The method can include tempering whole grain wheat and heating the tempered whole grain wheat at a temperature of about 120 degrees Celsius to about 160 degrees Celsius for about 5 to 20 minutes. The method can further include milling the whole grain to form a bran and germ fraction and a break flour fraction, fine milling the bran and germ fraction, and recombining the fine milled bran and germ fraction with the break flour fraction to produce a straight run flour. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Stabilized whole grain flour and flour products

A method of coating a polymer comprising the step of treating the polymer with an activating agent to produce a reactive polymer, for example treating a polymer bearing at least one X (halogen) group and at least one H with base to eliminate HX. The reactive polymer is then reacted with a reactive coating, for example PVP, preferably in the presence of an initiator like persulfate anions, to produce a coated polymer, which may be hydrophilic in nature.

Hydrophilic membranes

The invention relates to polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membranes of, for instance, poly(ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene) (HALAR&#xae;), PVDF or PP, incorporating PVME or vinyl methyl ether monomers. The PVME may be present as a coating on the membrane or dispersed throughout the membrane or both. The membranes are preferably hydrophilic with a highly asymmetric structure with a reduced pore size and/or absence of macrovoids as a result of the addition of PVME. The PVME maybe cross-linked. The invention also relates to methods of hydrophilising membranes and/or preparing hydrophilic membranes via thermal or diffusion induced phase separation processed.

Membrane post treatment

The invention relates to polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membranes of, for instance, Halar, PVDF or PP, incorporating PVME or vinyl methyl ether monomers. The PVME may be present as a coating on the membrane or dispersed throughout the membrane or both. The membranes are preferably hydrophilic with a highly asymmetric structure with a reduced pore size and/or absence of macrovoids as a result of the addition of PVME. The PVME maybe cross-linked. The invention also relates to methods of hydrophilising membranes and/or preparing hydrophilic membranes via thermal or diffusion induced phase separation processed.

Hydrophilic porous polymeric membranes with high permeabilities, and processes for the preparation thereof are disclosed. Membranes may be prepared by including a preferably hydrophilic cross-linkable component such as PVP (either by inclusion into the polymer dope prior to casting, or coating or quenching cast membranes); and treating the polymeric microfiltration or ultrafiltration membrane with a crosslinking agent to cross-link said cross-linkable component. Preferred cross-linking agents include Fenton's reagent.

Porous polymeric membranes including HALAR&#xae; (poly(ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene)) and related compounds and the methods of production thereof which avoid the use of toxic solvents. Preferred solvents, coating agents and pore forming agents are citric acid ethyl ester or glycerol triacetate. The membranes may be in the form of a hollow fiber or flat sheet, and may include other agents to modify the properties of the membranes, such as the hydrophilic/hydrophilic balance. Leachable agents may also be incorporated into the membranes.

Poly(ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene) membranes

Porous polymeric membranes including Halar (poly (ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene)) and related compounds and the methods of production thereof which avoid the use of toxic solvents. Preferred solvents, coating agents and pore forming agents are citric acid ethyl ester or glycerol triacetate. The membranes may be in the form of a hollow fiber or flat sheet, and may include other agents to modify the properties of the membrane, such as the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. Leachable agents may also be incorporated into the membranes.

The invention relates to a terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) monomer, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) monomer and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) monomer for forming an ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane, method of forming said membranes, and to the ultrafiltration or microfiltration membranes themselves. The invention also relates to a method of forming a polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane including preparing a leachant resistant membrane dope which incorporates a leachable pore forming agent, casting a membrane from the dope and leaching the pore forming agent from the membrane. The invention also relates to a method of preparing a polymeric ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane of improved structure including the step of adding a nucleating agent to the membrane dope before casting.

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Toongabbie, Australia

Daniel Edward Mullette