Patent ID: 9186854
Filing Date: 2015-11-17
Classification: B01D,B29D

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a supported liquid membrane comprising: obtaining a membrane, where the membrane is comprised of, mixing a casting solution, where the casting solution is comprised of a membrane liquid and a volatile solvent, where the membrane liquid is soluble in the volatile solvent, and where the volatile solvent has a vapor pressure less than 400 torr at 25° C., and where the membrane liquid and the volatile solvent are miscible, and where the casting solution has a viscosity less than 100 centipoise at 25° C.; establishing a gaseous atmosphere within the plurality of interconnected pores comprising the porous layer, where the gaseous atmosphere exerts a total pressure within the plurality of interconnected pores, and where a partial pressure of the volatile solvent in the gaseous atmosphere is less than the vapor pressure of the volatile solvent; generating a pressure difference across the dense layer and the porous layer such that a total pressure on the skin surface is from about 100 to about 600 torr less than the total pressure exerted by the gaseous atmosphere within the plurality of interconnected pores; applying a volume of the casting solution to the porous layer after establishing the gaseous atmosphere and generating the pressure difference, thereby generating a deposited casting solution, and allowing at least a portion of the deposited casting solution to flow into the plurality of interconnected pores; and waiting a period of time such that at least some portion of the volatile solvent in the at least a portion of the deposited casting solution evaporates and some portion of the membrane liquid in the at least a portion of the deposited casting solution precipitates, thereby generating a membrane liquid layer in the membrane, and thereby generating the supported liquid membrane.