Hoechst Celanese Corporation

David K Schisla

Michael J Sansone

Gunilla E Gillberg-LaForce

Edward L Cussler

A process is provided for modifying the properties of a hydrophobic microporous membrane which includes the steps of first providing a hydrophobic microporous membrane, treating it with a surfactant to render the membrane hydrophilic, wetting the membrane with an aqueous solution of a polyol such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and divinyl sulfone (DVS) or a precursor thereof, washing the membrane with water to displace the polyol/DVA from the exterior of the membrane while retaining it in the pores of the membrane, and crosslinking the polyol/DVS into an aqueous gel to yield a hydrophilic microporous membrane having pores filled with an aqueous polyol/DVS gel, the exterior of the membrane being unobstructed by gel. The modified membranes produced according to the process are useful in carrying out chromatographic separations.

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St. Louis, MO, United States of America

David K Schisla