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Title: Method for the production of fabricated hollow microspheroids

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1183943

The method relates to the fabrication of a polymer microspheres comprised of an asymmetric layer surrounding a hollow interior. The fabricated hollow microsphere is generated from a nascent hollow microsphere comprised of an inner core of core fluid surrounded by a dope layer of polymer dope, where the thickness of the dope layer is at least 10% and less than 50% of the diameter of the inner core. The nascent hollow microsphere is exposed to a gaseous environment, generating a vitrified hollow microsphere, which is subsequently immersed in a coagulation bath. Solvent exchange produces a fabricated hollow microsphere comprised of a densified outer skin surrounding a macroporous inner layer, which surrounds a hollow interior. In an embodiment, the polymer is a polyimide or a polyamide-imide, and the non-solvent in the core fluid and the coagulation bath is water. The fabricated hollow microspheres are particularly suited as solvent supports for gas separation processes.

Research Organization:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Assignee:
U.S. Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
Patent Number(s):
9,050,579
Application Number:
13/622,001
OSTI ID:
1183943
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2012 Sep 18
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (3)

Fabrication of hollow, spherical polymeric “micropillows” using a dual layer spinneret journal March 2011
Parametric Study of Acoustic Excitation-Based Glycerol-Water Microsphere Fabrication in Single Nozzle Jetting journal September 2010
Preparation and characterization of ionic liquid polymer microspheres [PEEKWC/DMF/CYPHOS IL 101] using the phase-inversion technique journal September 2012