Laminated porous/non-porous membranes
United States Patent [1 1 Browall et a1.  
 [ Apr. 1, 1975 1 1 LAMINATED POROUS/NON-POROUS MEMBRANES [73] Assignee: General Electric Company,  
 Schenectady, NY.  
 Filed: May 20, 1974 Appl. No.: 471,320  
 [52] US. Cl 161/160, 156/285, 161/183 [51] Int. Cl B32b 3/26, B32b 27/28 [58] Field of Search 161/160, 183; 156/285 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.740.305 6/1973 Hoback ct a1. 161/183 Primary E.\&#39;aminerWilliam .1. Van Balen Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Leo l Malossi; Joseph T. Cohen; Jerome C. Squillaro [57] ABSTRACT A unified laminate of layers of polymer is disclosed, the laminate consisting of a layer of microporous substrate and an ultrathin layer of polyphenylene oxide (PPO) with an ultrathin layer of organopolysiloxanepolycarbonate copolymer disposed therebetween. The organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer layer serves to join the outer two layers together and provide cushioning to compensate for minor surface im perfections in the substrate.  
 3 Claims, No Drawings LAMINATED POROUS/NON-POROUS bonate units and dimethylsiloxane units; and b) blends MEMBRANES of poly-2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide (PPO) and organopolysiloxaneolycarbonate copolymer (as described BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION above, such cogolymer being described in U.S. Pat. No.  
  The preparation of ultrathin membranes from poly- 5 3,189,662 Vaughn, Jr., incorporated by reference). phenylene oxide (PPO) and organopolysiloxane- Organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer in polycarbonate copolymer is described in U.S. Pat. apwhich alternating blocks of repeating bisphenol-A plication Ser. No. 356,514 Ward, filed May 2, 1973 polycarbonate units and repeating dimethylsiloxane and assigned to the assignee of the instant application. units are present can be prepared following the teach- Pertinent description is found in the Ward application ings of Vaughn above, the resulting materials being alin Examples 1, 2 and 3. ternating, random, block polymers of the ABABA- The preparation of microporous polycarbonate resin yp in hich the blOCkS are polydispersez Si -C-O- :)C O EH CH I 3 s 3 rfi-l membranes is described in U.S. Pat. application Ser. P l w ight average molec lar weight lies in the N0- 569 Salemme, filed April 1974 and asrange of 15,000 to 50,000, K and in being selected to signed to the assignee of the instant in ention- BOth the accommodate these values. Individual film thicknesses Ward and Salemme patent applications are incorpo- (after desolvation) will range from about 250A to rated by reference. about 500A.  
 In order to handle ultrathin membranes and put them The preferred solvent for the organopolysiloxaneto use, support therefor on microporous substrate mapolycarbonate copolymer i l,2,3-t i hl terial having desired strength and flexibility must be (TCP). The preferred solvent system for the mixture of provided. PPO and organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer is a mixture of equal volumes of 1,2,3- DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTlON trichloropropane and l,l,2,2,-tetrachloroethane In the case of providing support for ultrathin PPO (TCE).  
 films it has been found advantageous to provide an in- Removal of the film from the surface of the filmformtermediate layer between the PPO film and micropoing solution as part of the laminate is most easily acrous hacking materials such as Acropore AN-ZOO complished by vacuum-pickup as described in the (manufactured by Gelman Instrument Company) and Ward application. Apparatus for the film pickup in its polycarbonate resin membranes prepared by the simplest form consists of a closed chamber having one method set forth in the Salemme application. This inporous wall (e.g. sintered metal particles) at least the tcrmediate layer functions both as an adhesive and as size of the area of film to be recovered. Initially a vaca cushion for the PPO layer to compensate for minor uum is drawn on the chamber after the porous wall has surface inperfections in the substrate. been covered with a layer of the microporous substrate The term layer as applied to PPO and organopolysand the substrate is brought into contact with the desoliloxane-polycarbonate copolymer materials refers to a vated film. The solidified film is pulled against the surunified lamina consisting ofone or more ultrathin films face of the microporous substrate. Subsequent films of the given material in which the films are strongly may be picked up in the same manner with each new bonded together, but need not merge. film sticking to the earlier deposited one. Bubbles of gas entrapped between films are no problem as long as j g s ggg igi gg fgg AND the vacuum is pulled, as the gas is gradually withdrawn from the bubbles by permeation and the film adjusts it- The ultrathin non-porous membranes for use in the lf, h i ki as h gas leaves practice of this invention are prepared by the Ward Aty ieal a ri l ti f rh organopolyslloxaneprocess by casting on a confined liquid surface. A pair polycarbonate l hi fil i 2-4% b i h f of movable longitudinally-extending barriers initially arropolysiloxarrepolyearbonare SiO (CH 20 spaced apart a small distance and in contact with the SiO(CH units per block] copolymer i TCP, A i liquid surface are employed, first, to accommodate the l Casting l i fo h PPO l hi fil i 2 4% casting solution thcrebetween and second by relative 60 by weight of polymer (PPO 20% by weight of the separation IhCI&#39;COl it) COl&#39;lil&#39;OilZlbly permit spreading Of aforementioned rgancpo]ysiloxane-polycarbonate coihC CilSIlllg SOlUIlOll OVCI&#39; the surface OfthC film-support polymer) dissolved in equal quantities of and liquid. Water is the preferred film support liquid. TCE  
  Polymers of particular importance in the practice of P paration ofthe composite PPO layer organopolysthis invention are those which a) include repeating iloxane-polycarbonate copolymer layer nylonunits Comprising hisphenol-A polycarbonate units and reinforced, polyvinyl chlorideacrylonitrile copolymer dimethylsiloxane units and those which include repeatlayer (Acropore), for example, is accomplished by aping units in alternating blocks of bisphenol-A polycarplying a layer ofthe microporous backing material over the porous wall of the pickup chamber while a vacuum is being drawn thereon and then bringing the substrate into contact with a desolvated ultrathin organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer film resting on the liquid casting surface. In this way, the solidified film of organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer is picked up and adheres to the backing material. Multiple organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer films may, if desired, be picked up in the same manner (vacuum being drawn in each instance) with each new film sticking to the earlier deposited one. The thickness of the organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer layer determines the extent of cushioning contributed by the layer.  
  When the appropriate thickness (one or more films) of organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer has been applied to the microporous substrate, the film pickup procedure is repeated, preferably adding two or more of the ultrathin PPO films to the aforementioned laminate to produce the overall composite structure desired. Initially, ultrathin PPO membranes were ap-- plied directly to the Acropore, but delamination occurred as is shown in Example 1.  
 EXAMPLE 1 Ultrathin PPO films were cast as required using a casting solution containing 4% by weight of PFC 20% by weight of organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate [60% SiO (CI-I 20 SiO(CH units per block] copolymer dissolved in equal quantities of TCP and TCE. A sheet of Acropore was used as the backing and four ultrathin PPO films were applied in sequence to one face thereof using a vacuum chamber as described herein. Tests were conducted on the laminate to determine the O /N separation factor thereof under high pressure (150-170 psig). The single unified PPO layer separated from the Acropore backing in patches. It was concluded that this delamination was due to poor bonding between the PPO and Acropore layers.  
  It was decided to attempt to improve this poor bonding condition and the construction of Example I was modified to introduce an intermediate ultrathin layer of organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer.  
 EXAMPLE 2 A sheet of Acropore was applied to a vacuum chamber pickup surface. First, an ultrathin film of 4% by weight organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer a mixture of 5&#39; parts [60% SiO(CH 4O SiO(CH units per block and 1 part [60% SiO(CI-I Si- O(CH units per block in TCP was picked up over the Acropore backing. Then in sequence four ultrathin films of PFC (as in Example 1) were applied thereover. This laminate was successfully tested for O /N separation at high pressure (90 psig), the pressure application being cycled. The enriched stream contained 44% by volume 0 and no delamination occurred.  
  Since the organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer layer is 10 times more permeable (in equal thickness) than the PPO membrane, the O enrichment by the unified laminate is not significantly changed as compared to the enrichment obtained with PPO in the absence of the organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer layer. In the composite, however, the organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate layer overcomes&#39; the delamination problem by adhering both to the PPO layer and to the Acropore backing.  
  This general construction of Example 2 was repeated using microporous Lexan (General Electric Company) polycarbonate (described in Example 3) and it was found that the layer of organopolysiloxanepolycarbonate provided the desired cushioning and resistance to delamination.  
 EXAMPLE 3 A sheet of microporous polycarbonate was applied to the suction surface of a vacuum-pickup chamber to serve as the backing layer. An ultrathin organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer film as used in Example 2 was first applied to the backing layer. Next two ultra-&#39; thin PPO films (as in Example 1) were applied over the organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate layer. This composite was tested for O /N separation under vacuum with a pressure difference of 1 atmosphere. The test was successful, the enriched stream having 48% by volume 0 and no delamination occurring over an extended period of use.  
  The composites of this invention are intended for use as gas separation membranes. For such applications the composites will usually be subjected to significant pressure differentials. In use, therefore, the composite will be supported on a series of cloth and fine screens.  
  What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:  
  l. A composite containing unified layers of polymer consisting of a non-porous layer of polyphenyleneoxide/organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer, a backing layer of a material selected from the group consisting of microporous polyvinyl chlorideacrylonitrile copolymer and microporous polycarbonate and an intermediate layer of organopolysiloxanepolycarbonate copolymer adhering said non-porous layer to said backing layer.  
  2. The composite of claim 1 wherein the backing layer is microporous polycarbonate.  
  3. The composite of claim 1 wherein the backing layer is microporous polyvinyl chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer.