Abstract:
A process for making fine metallic fibers comprising coating (11) a plurality of metallic wires with a coating material. The plurality of metallic wires are jacketed (12) with a tube for providing a cladding. The cladding is drawn (13) for reducing the outer diameter thereof. The cladding is removed (14) to provide a remainder comprising the coating material with a plurality of metallic wires contained therein. The remainder is drawn (15) for reducing the diameter thereof and for reducing the corresponding diameter of the plurality of metallic wires contained therein. The coating material is removed (16) for providing the plurality of fine metallic fibers.
Abstract:
A method for determining the concentration of a reduced or oxidized form of a redox species in an electrochemical cell of the kind comprising a working electrode and a counter electrode spaced from the working electrode such that reaction products from the counter electrode arrive at the working electrode, the method comprising the steps of applying (21) an electric potential between the electrodes, such that the electro-oxidation of the redox species is diffusion controlled, determining the current as a function of time, estimating the magnitude of the steady state current (23), reversing the potential, again determining current as a function of time and estimating the reverse potential steady state (25).
Abstract:
A back-flushable filter cartridge (10) includes a cylindrical exterior fluid-permeable filter media cage (12), a cylindrical interior fluid-permeable core element (14) coaxially disposed within the filter media cage (12) so as to establish therebetween an interior space, and longitudinally pleated filter media (16) surrounding the core element (14) and disposed in the interior space such that individual pleats thereof extend substantially radially outwardly from the core element (14). An annular space is established between outer longitudinal folds of the pleated filter media (16) and the filter media cage (14). The pleated filter media (12) is radially expandable into the established annular space to allow individual adjacent pleats of the pleated filter media to circumferentially separate from one another in response to fluid flowing in a radial direction from the core element (14) toward the filter media cage (12).
Abstract:
An improved battery plate (40) and a method of making for an electric storage battery (10). The battery plate comprises a plurality of metallic fibers (50, 52) of a single or plural diameters (d, D) randomly oriented and sintered to provide a conductive battery plate with a multiplicity of pores defined therein (60). The metallic fibers are formed by cladding and drawing a plurality of metallic wires to provide a fiber tow. The fiber tow is severed and the cladding is removed to form metallic fibers. The metallic fibers are arranged into a web and sintered to form a battery plate.
Abstract:
Ultraporous and microporous polymer membranes cast from metastable dispersions are signifcantly improved by limiting the time of environmental exposure to less than about 0.5, preferably less than 0.25 seconds, between casting and quenching, and reducing the casting temperatures about 10 to about 20 °C lower than the usual prior art values. The resulting membranes have far less debris entrained in the membrane, far more consistent and uniform pore sizes, a substantially greater number of skin pores, and greatly increased flow rates for any given pore diameter.
Abstract:
A precoat septum having a winding thereon of textured yarn produced of continuous filaments of an organic or inorganic material. The yarn is texturized by air blowing a plurality of said filaments utilizing an air jet, and drawing off the filaments at a speed which is lower than the speed at which they enter the jet so that the resulting yarn is characterized by the filaments having a plurality of random entangled loops.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for gas phase sulfonation of preformed polymeric membranes are provided in accordance with the present invention. The invention enables conversion of a hydrophobic membrane that is capable of reaction with a gas phase sulfonation agent into a hydrophilic membrane. As will be understood, aromatic rings, amines, hydroxyl groups, and other reactive moieties in polymers are readily sulfonated when exposed to sulfur trioxide gas. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a preformed polymer membrane that contains aromatic rings or other moieties that are capable of reaction with a gas phase sulfonation agent, is exposed to a gas phase sulfonation agent, such as sulfur trioxide, and the aromatic rings or other moieties of the polymer become sulfonated. The inclusion of sulfonate groups on such polymers, and the membranes formed therefrom, renders such polymers totally or partially hyrophilic. The invention also relates to polymeric membranes, including asymmetric sulfone polymer membranes sulfonated by the process of the invention, and to devices for carrying out the sulfonation method of the invention.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to the field synthetic polymeric membrane materials formed from casting polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) polymer solutions and/or dispersions. Membranes formed in accordance with the present invention are all highly porous. Both internally isotropic membranes and highly asymmetric PVDF membranes are disclosed. The membranes of the invention are useful in a variety of microfiltration and ultrathin applications.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for defining an area (4) of a layer on a porous substrate comprising compressing a volume of the substrate to produce a compressed region (8) which defines, or which in combination with an edge (7) of the substrate or of the layer defines, a boundary of the area and which substantially prevents the transport of material through or across its surface. The present invention also relates to an electrochemical sensing device comprising: a porous substrate; and an electrode (1) on one side of the substrate; wherein a region of the substrate is compressed to an extent which forms a barrier to migration of electrolyte within the substrate, the compressed region defining, or in combination with an edge of the substrate or the electrode defining, a zone on the electrode of predetermined area.
Abstract:
In critical filtration applications, filter cartridges (200) are employed to replace ion exchange resin precoat filters to minimize the waste produced. The filter cartridges (200) which are housed in a multiple cartridge filter housing (300) with an inlet (320), an internal baffle plate (330) which defines an upper chamber (340) and a lower chamber (350), are backwashed with all gas via a gas inlet (410) and the liquid in the filter housing (300) provides an active scouring effect as a result of the high levels of turbulence produced. The baffle plate (330) is provided with ports (360) to receive the cartridges (200). Chamber (350) is provided with a filtrate outlet (380). The liquid, with entrained debris from the filter, is minimized in volume.