Bha Group, Inc.

General Electric Company

Greg Strugalski

Robert John Klare

An apparatus and methods for removing contaminants from substances are provided. The apparatus includes a treatment vessel, a pump, and a means to suspend a contaminated substance within a flow of a low surface tension solvent. Circuitous piping is provided to cycle the flow of the solvent through the treatment vessel. The methods include exposing a contaminated substance to a flow of low surface tension solvent that removes the contaminant from the substance and transports it away from the substance. In further examples, the pressure and temperature within the processing system can be increased to put the solvent into a supercritical phase.

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The present invention is a method for modifying at least one property of a porous membrane. The method comprises the steps of providing a porous membrane. The method also includes exposing the membrane to a fluid at supercritical conditions. At least one property of the membrane is modified while the membrane is exposed to the fluid at supercritical conditions. The condition of the fluid is changed in such a manner that the porous membrane retains the modified property. The present invention is also sheet material that is water-resistant, moisture vapor transmissive and air permeable. The sheet material comprises a membrane having an open pore structure including surfaces defining a plurality of interconnecting pores extending through the membrane and between major sides of said membrane in which the pores have an average pore size. The membrane is made from a material tending to absorb oils and contaminating agents. A uniform coating of precipitated fluorinated urethane polymer material on at least portions of the surfaces of the nodes and fibrils defining the pores. The precipitated fluorinated urethane polymer material provides oil and contaminating agent resistance of at least a number 6 by AATCC 118 testing and an air permeability of at least 0.20 CFM per square foot by ASTM D737 testing.

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Lee's Summit, MO, United States of America

Greg Strugalski