Patents Examined by Ana M. Fortuna
  • Patent number: 10751667
    Abstract: A membrane assembly for the permeative separation of a fluid from fluid mixtures includes a porous, fluid-permeable, metallic support substrate, a membrane that is disposed on the support substrate and is selectively permeable to the fluid to be separated off, and a connecting part which is formed, at least on the surface, of a fluid-tight, metallic material. The support substrate is cohesively bonded along a peripheral section thereof to the connecting part. A ceramic, fluid-permeable, porous, first intermediate layer is disposed between the support substrate and the membrane. At least one ceramic bonding layer is disposed directly on the connecting part and the material bond and extends at least over the cohesive material bond and an adjoining section of the connecting part. The first intermediate layer ends on the bonding layer and has a greater average pore size than the bonding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Plansee SE
    Inventors: Markus Haydn, Stephan Hummel, Marco Brandner
  • Patent number: 10745555
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process for the manufacture of a porous membrane, said process comprising the following steps: (i) providing a composition [composition (F)] comprising: —at least one fluoropolymer [polymer (F)] comprising recurring units derived from at least one (meth)acrylic monomer (MA) having formula (I) wherein: —R1, R2 and R3, equal to or different from each other, are independently selected from a hydrogen atom and a C1-C3 hydrocarbon group, and —RX is a hydrogen atom or a C1-C5 hydrocarbon moiety comprising at least one functional group selected from a hydroxyl, a carboxyl, an epoxide, an ester and an ether group, and —at least one poly(alkylene oxide) (PAO); (ii) processing said composition (F) to provide a film; (iii) treating the film so obtained with an aqueous composition to provide said porous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: SOLVAY SPECIALTY POLYMER ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventors: Julio A. Abusleme, Anna Maria Bertasa, Regis Faig, Marco Miele, Stefano Mortara
  • Patent number: 10745305
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices suitable for performing chemical and/or biological reactions. Also disclosed are methods of simultaneously performing at least two chemical and/or biological reactions under different conditions in a single reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ariel Scientific Innovations Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaakov Anker, Alexander Gimburg
  • Patent number: 10737220
    Abstract: A composite membrane for selectively pervaporating a first liquid from a mixture comprising the first liquid and a second liquid. The composite membrane includes a porous substrate comprising opposite first and second major surfaces, and a plurality of pores. A pore-filling polymer is disposed in at least some of the pores so as to form a layer having a thickness within the porous substrate. The polymer is more permeable to the first liquid than the second liquid but not soluble in the first liquid or the second liquid. The composite membrane may be asymmetric or symmetric with respect to the amount of pore-filling polymer throughout the thickness of the porous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Jinsheng Zhou, Kazuhiko Mizuno, Moses M. David
  • Patent number: 10737221
    Abstract: Provided is a scale inhibitor for RO membranes which effectively inhibits the precipitation of calcium carbonate in an RO membrane treatment without increasing the phosphorus concentration in effluent and which can be used even in the RO membrane treatment of feed in which high-M-alkalinity concentrate having a calcium hardness level of 100 to 600 mg/L-CaCO3 and an M alkalinity of 1000 to 16000 mg-CaCO3/L is produced. A scale inhibitor for reverse osmosis membranes which inhibits the formation of calcium carbonate scale in an RO membrane treatment, the scale inhibitor including components (A) and (B) below. An RO membrane treatment method including adding the scale inhibitor for RO membranes to RO feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: KURITA WATER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 10722824
    Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for treating cooling fluid in a continuous metal casting process having a spray chamber. In some embodiments, the system includes a first compartment with an intermittently operable outlet (e.g., valve) with an open state and a closed state, for removing particulate matter, and a second compartment that receives particle-free fluid from the first compartment. The first compartment may be tapered, conical, funnel, pyramidal shape or otherwise narrowed shape to facilitate settling of the particles. One or more sensors measure at least one property of the particle-free fluid to determine the opened or closed state of the outlet and to adjust chemical additives for the cooling fluid. In some embodiments, the system and methods reduce corrosion in spray chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: ECOLAB USA INC.
    Inventors: Laia More Roca, Ashraf Mohammed, Paloma Lopez Serrano, Andrew Edwin Lerrick, Peter de Graaf
  • Patent number: 10717834
    Abstract: Nanofibres are provided that are insoluble and swellable in an essentially aqueous effluent, a method for the preparation of these nanofibres and the use of these nanofibres for the extraction from an effluent of metals, in particular metal salts originating from heavy metals, of rare earths, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals or actinides, in the stable or unstable isotopic forms thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, AJELIS
    Inventors: Pascal Viel, Marvin Benzaqui, Ekaterine Shilova
  • Patent number: 10710917
    Abstract: An embodiment method includes generating a first water product and a sludge of contaminants from water to be treated using an advanced electronic-oxidation process. The advanced electronic-oxidation process includes an electronic treatment comprising a combination of electrocoagulation, electro-flocculation, electro-chlorinator, and electro-dialysis operated in synchronization with ozone. The method further includes separating the sludge of contaminants from the first water product using a filtration process, and filtering the first water product to produce a second water product and a concentrated water byproduct. The filtering includes a first sub-stage to remove particles greater than 0.02 ?m to about 0.05 ?m followed by a second sub-stage that includes a reverse osmosis process or a nano-filtration process. The second water is exposed product to an ultraviolet light treatment or ozonation process to generate clean water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: UNLIMITED WATER SOLUTIONS LLC
    Inventors: Oscar Ricardo Garcia Navarro, Roberto Ariel Salinas Perez, Jennifer Leahann Teeter
  • Patent number: 10702809
    Abstract: A cylindrical filtration filter includes a cylindrical filter main body. The filter main body is constituted by at least two split filters. Each of the split filters has an arc shape in cross section. Each of the split filters includes a filter element for filtration and side frame bodies provided along side portions of the filter element. The side frame body of one of the two split filters adjacent to each other includes a first facing surface having an uneven shape. The side frame body of the other split filter includes a second facing surface having an uneven shape complementary to the first facing surface. The first facing surface and the second facing surface are fitted to each other when the filter main body is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Hidekatsu Sakaguchi, Yasuhito Matoba
  • Patent number: 10695697
    Abstract: A device includes a compartment for separating the solids and liquids. The compartment includes a base that is concavely curved according to a cylindrical portion having a transverse axis and is formed of a sieve, an idler roller mounted transversely on an arm, a drive which actuates the arm, and resilient means for adjusting the pressure exerted by the rollers. Both the contact interface between the sieve and the roller and the rotational interface between the roller and the arm are made of a non-metal material on at least one of the two contacting surfaces that form each of the interfaces, such that, there is no metal-on-metal contact between surfaces moving relative to one another at the interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: ROTECNA, S.A.
    Inventor: Gener Romeu Guardia
  • Patent number: 10682615
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a composite semi-permeable membrane having high processing efficiency even when processing of wastewater having a suspended matter content high enough to tend to result in clogging, said processing efficiency being unlikely to decline even under elevated-pressure operation accompanying continuous use at high pressure. The present invention pertains to a composite semi-permeable membrane having a polymer porous layer on one surface of a nonwoven cloth layer, and a polyamide separation function layer on the polymer porous layer, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the polymer porous layer to the thickness of the nonwoven cloth layer is 0.22 to 0.45.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Echizen, Atsuhito Komoto, Yasuyuki Sakakibara, Kazusa Matsui, Taisuke Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10683216
    Abstract: A water purification chamber is provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises a purification chamber comprising a selective adsorbent activated carbon fiber fabric including one or more selective functional groups that bind arsenic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Chemica Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuji Tsukamoto, Jason Trevor Gatlin
  • Patent number: 10668435
    Abstract: Two-dimensional material based filters, their method of manufacture, and their use are disclosed. In one embodiment, a membrane may include an active layer including a plurality of defects and a deposited material associated with the plurality of defects may reduce flow therethrough. Additionally, a majority of the active layer may be free from the material. In another embodiment, a membrane may include a porous substrate and an atomic layer deposited material disposed on a surface of the porous substrate. The atomic layer deposited material may be less hydrophilic than the porous substrate and an atomically thin active layer may be disposed on the atomic layer deposited material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
    Inventors: Rohit N. Karnik, Suman Bose, Michael S. H. Boutilier, Nicolas G. Hadjiconstantinou, Tarun Kumar Jain, Sean C. O'Hern, Tahar Laoui, Muataz A. Atieh, Doojoon Jang
  • Patent number: 10668411
    Abstract: A method of making depth filtration media, such as for use in a depth filter, are described. The resulting depth filtration media includes a core tube having two or more different layers. The layers can be fibers, such as polymeric or inorganic fibers, wrapped layers of a filter material, or pleated and folded layers of a filter material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Entegris, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Wang, Dean Tsou, Yi Wei Lu, Bob Shie
  • Patent number: 10654733
    Abstract: The mobile water treatment cartridge is connectable into a water treatment circuit and includes fluid connectors and power and data connection ports. The cartridge includes an outer shell having an upper opening that can be hermetically sealed by a lid, and an inner shell having an opening at the top and delimiting an internal volume of the cartridge, in which all the technical equipment for operation of the cartridge is placed. The inner shell is secured to at least one structure that can be inserted into the interior volume through the opening. There is a device for handling the cartridge secured to the outer shell and a device for rendering the cartridge mobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: BFG Environmental Technologies
    Inventors: Paul Pradeau, Remy Francois
  • Patent number: 10653824
    Abstract: Various systems and methods relating to two-dimensional materials such as graphene. A membrane include a cross-linked graphene platelet polymer that includes a plurality of cross-linked graphene platelets. The cross-linked graphene platelets include a graphene portion and a cross-linking portion. The cross-linking portion contains a 4 to 10 atom link. The cross-linked graphene platelet polymer is produced by reaction of an epoxide functionalized graphene platelet and a (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide functionalized cross-linker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Peter V. Bedworth, Steven Edward Bullock, Sarah M. Simon, Steven W. Sinton, John B. Stetson, Jr., Jacob L. Swett, Scott E. Heise
  • Patent number: 10646850
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a material for blood purification having the capability to remove cytokines and activated leukocyte-activated platelet complexes. The present invention provides a material for blood purification, the material containing a water-insoluble material in which a ligand having an amide group(s) and an amino group(s) is bound to a substrate, wherein the content of the amide group(s) is 3.0 to 7.0 mmol per 1 g dry weight of the water-insoluble material; and wherein the content of the amino group(s) is 1.0 to 7.0 mmol per 1 g dry weight of the water-insoluble material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Shungo Kanda, Hiroshi Takahashi, Naotoshi Tomita
  • Patent number: 10632237
    Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering materials from biologic fluids are discussed. Embodiments may be used to filter cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a human or animal subject. In an example, CSF is separated into a permeate and retentate using a tangential flow filter. The retentate is filtered again and then returned to the subject with the permeate. During operation of the system, various parameters may be modified, such as flow rate and waste rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: MINNETRONIX, INC.
    Inventors: Emily Rolfes Meyering, Gary Seim, Abhi Vase, Ben Krehbiel, Blake Hedstrom, Aaron McCabe, Jack Mondry
  • Patent number: 10626032
    Abstract: A wastewater treatment device has: an ozone generator which supplies ozone; a mixer which mixes ozone supplied from the ozone generator with wastewater and supplies ozone mixed wastewater; an ozone oxidation unit which progresses ozone oxidation in the ozone mixed wastewater while passing the ozone mixed wastewater therethrough and discharges wastewater in which the ozone has been consumed; a biological treatment unit which performs biological treatment on the wastewater discharged from the ozone oxidation unit using microorganisms; and an adjusting device which adjusts the amount of ozone to be mixed with the wastewater by the mixer so that ozone in an amount that inhibits the microorganisms of the biological treatment unit does not remain in the wastewater discharged from the ozone oxidation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Kubota, Yuka Yoshida, Xia Huang, Chun Liu, Jing Zhang, Hong Zheng Zhou, Xiao Xuan Chen, Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10589194
    Abstract: A filtration module (1) has a filter unit (2) with at least one filter element (6) arranged between first and second plates (4, 5). The filter element (6) has at least one layer of filter material (9, 10) sealed off at a periphery by an edge seal (12). The plates (4, 5) are pressed against each other by a resilient bracketing profile (3) that engages around the plates (4, 5) at their opposite side surfaces (21, 22, 23, 24). The bracketing profile (3) has a base (13) that curves inward transversely to the longitudinal direction (14) of the plates (4, 5) and that is delimited by lateral brackets (16, 17) that are bent inward at their free ends (18, 19) to engage laterally around a surface (20) of the filter element (6) facing away from the base (13). A method also is provided for producing a filtration module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Thomas Krumbein