Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
IN A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SEMI-PREMEABLE INTERGAL CELLULOSIC FILM MEMBRANES SUITABLE FOR USE IN REVERSE OSMOSIS PROCESS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF A. CASTING IN THE FORM OF A FILM A CONCENTRATED CELLULOSIC DOPE ONTO AN ELONGATED, PREMEABLE, CASTING AND MEMBRANE SUPPORT FABRIC, B. EXPOSING SAID FILM TO A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME DEVELOP AN INCIPIENT ACTIVITE LAYER AT THE SURFACE OF THE RESULTING PARTIALLY EVAPORATED LAYER OF DOPE EXPOSED TO SAID GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE, C. THEREAFTER DIVERTING THE ELONGATED FABRIC ON WHICH IS COATED SAID LAYER OF DOPE INTO WATER TO THEREBY CAUSE SAID PARTIALLY EVAPORATED LAYER OF DOPE TO GEL AND FROM A WET MEMBRANE, AND D. THEREAFTER REMOVING TE RESULTING WET MEMBRANE AND FABRIC FROM SAID BATH AS A SUBSTANTIALLY NONSEPARABLE SEMIPERMABLE LAMINATE, SAID CONCENTRATED DOPE BEING COMPRISED OF A BLEND OF AT LEAST ONE CELLULOSIC FILM-FORMING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SOLUBLE FILM-FORMING CELLULOSE ESTER, ETHERS AND MIXED ESTER ETHERS AND AT LEAST ONE PORE-PRODUCING MATERIAL, SAID BEING DISSOLVED IN A VOLATILE, WATER MISCIBLE SOLVENT PROTION IN WHICH SAID FABRIC IS INSOLUBLE, THE IMPROVEMET THEREIN BEING WHERE THE FABRIC COMPRISES SUBSTANTIALLY UNSIZED WRAP AND FILL STRANDS OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS MULTIFILAMENTS OF FIBER-FORMING CRYSTALLINE ORGANIC THERMOSPLASTIC RESIN, SAID FABRIC BEING HEAT PRESSED TO REDER IT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FREE OF INTERSTICES AT TE STRAND INTERSECTION, AND THE SOLVENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF ACETIC ACID, FORMIC ACID, OR MIXTURE OF ACETIC AND FORMIC ACIDS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
IN A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SEMI-PREMEABLE INTERGAL CELLULOSIC FILM MEMBRANES SUITABLE FOR USE IN REVERSE OSMOSIS PROCESS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF A. CASTING IN THE FORM OF A FILM A CONCENTRATED CELLULOSIC DOPE ONTO AN ELONGATED, PREMEABLE, CASTING AND MEMBRANE SUPPORT FABRIC, B. EXPOSING SAID FILM TO A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME DEVELOP AN INCIPIENT ACTIVITE LAYER AT THE SURFACE OF THE RESULTING PARTIALLY EVAPORATED LAYER OF DOPE EXPOSED TO SAID GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE, C. THEREAFTER DIVERTING THE ELONGATED FABRIC ON WHICH IS COATED SAID LAYER OF DOPE INTO WATER TO THEREBY CAUSE SAID PARTIALLY EVAPORATED LAYER OF DOPE TO GEL AND FROM A WET MEMBRANE, AND D. THEREAFTER REMOVING TE RESULTING WET MEMBRANE AND FABRIC FROM SAID BATH AS A SUBSTANTIALLY NONSEPARABLE SEMIPERMABLE LAMINATE, SAID CONCENTRATED DOPE BEING COMPRISED OF A BLEND OF AT LEAST ONE CELLULOSIC FILM-FORMING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SOLUBLE FILM-FORMING CELLULOSE ESTER, ETHERS AND MIXED ESTER ETHERS AND AT LEAST ONE PORE-PRODUCING MATERIAL, SAID BEING DISSOLVED IN A VOLATILE, WATER MISCIBLE SOLVENT PROTION IN WHICH SAID FABRIC IS INSOLUBLE, THE IMPROVEMET THEREIN BEING WHERE THE FABRIC COMPRISES SUBSTANTIALLY UNSIZED WRAP AND FILL STRANDS OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS MULTIFILAMENTS OF FIBER-FORMING CRYSTALLINE ORGANIC THERMOSPLASTIC RESIN, SAID FABRIC BEING HEAT PRESSED TO REDER IT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FREE OF INTERSTICES AT TE STRAND INTERSECTION, AND THE SOLVENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF ACETIC ACID, FORMIC ACID, OR MIXTURE OF ACETIC AND FORMIC ACIDS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the resin is a polyester or polyolefin.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process according to claim 2 wherein the polyester is poly(ethylene terephthalate).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process according to claim 3 wherein the fabric is a polyester sailcloth pressed by calendering at a temperature of at least about 325*F. and a pressure of at least about 1800 psig.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein said cellulosic film-former and said pore-producing material are present in said dope in an amount equal to at least about 10 weight percent and at least about 0.2 weight percent, respectively.