Patent ID: 8506808

Claim:
A tubesheet comprising: i) a plurality of aligned semi-permeable hollow fiber membranes each comprising a cylindrical porous structure surrounding a lumen and defining an outer diameter, an inner diameter and a wall thickness therebetween, and extending between a first and second end and further comprising a first segment located adjacent the first end and a second segment located adjacent to the second end, and ii) a block of potting material including an interfacial surface, wherein the first segment of the hollow fiber membrane is embedded within the block of potting material and wherein the second segment extends from the interfacial surface of the block, and wherein the tubesheet is characterized by comprising a penetrating extension of potting material within the porous structure of the second segment of the hollow fiber membrane that extends along a length from the interfacial surface of the block to a distal end, and wherein the penetrating extension has a length equal to or greater than 8 mm and a thickness at the interfacial surface that is greater than the thickness at the distal end and that is at least two thirds the wall thickness of the hollow fiber membrane.