JP2002263637A - Water purifying unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive water purifying unit by which not only chemical substances such as chlorine but also microbes or the like can be removed to obtain purified water of high safety, which can be manufactured easily and the number of whose components is made small. SOLUTION: This water purifying unit (1) is provided with a purifying part having a cylindrical solid porous molding (2) formed by bonding activated carbon by a binder and a hollow fiber membrane module (3) which is packed in the hollow part (2a) of the molding (2) and in which the opened ends of a lot of hollow fiber membranes (3a) are fixed by a potting part (3b). The raw water introduced from the outer peripheral surface of the molding (2) being a raw water introducing part is made to pass through the inside of the molding (2) toward the part (2a) so that the chemical substance such as chlorine can be adsorbed/removed and comparatively large dust can also be filtered by the molding (2). The microbe or the like in the raw water is then filtered by the membranes (3a). The filtered raw water is discharged as the purified water from the opened ends of the membranes (3a) constituting a water discharging part. The hollow fiber membrane to be used has 25-58% packing density σ and the prescribed water purifying performance and can cope with the prescribed processing velocity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a home water purifier for purifying raw water such as tap water and a water purifier unit used for an industrial water purifier for purifying waste water. The present invention relates to a water purification unit which is easy to manufacture, has a small number of parts, and can contribute to waste reduction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Tap water as drinking water is guaranteed to have a certain level of safety according to water quality standards. However, in recent years, household water purification has been required to further purify tap water in order to obtain safer and more delicious water. The vessel is used frequently.

[0003] In general, in household water purifiers, an adsorbent such as activated carbon or ion exchange resin and a filter material such as a porous hollow fiber membrane are used as purifying materials for purifying water. Smell, musty odor, trihalomethane and the like are adsorbed and removed, and bacteria, turbidity and the like are removed by filtration using the above-mentioned filter material. In these water purifiers, when the water purifier performance is reduced, by replacing the purifying material with a new one, the required water purifying capability can be provided again, and usually, in order to facilitate the exchange of the purifying material. A water purification cartridge in which a purifying material is stored in a case body is used.

[0004] For example, a water purification cartridge disclosed in US Patent No. 4,753,728 has a cylindrical body in which activated carbon powder is solidified with a binder. A disc-shaped plastic cap for closing the entire end face is fitted to one end face of the cylindrical body, and a ring-shaped plastic cap for closing only the end face of the cylindrical body is fitted to the multiple ends.
Further, a non-woven fabric, a net or the like is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, and a sleeve made of porous plastic is arranged on the inner peripheral surface.

[0005] A water purification cartridge having such a configuration is as follows.
Activated carbon removes residual chlorine, chlorine odor, musty odor, and trihalomethane while raw water is introduced from the peripheral surface of the cylinder and moves toward the center of the cylinder, and the ring passes through the central porous plastic sleeve. Purified water is discharged from the central opening of the cap.

[0006] Alternatively, for example, a water purification cartridge disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-102697 has an inner cylinder, which is shorter than the outer cylinder, inside an outer cylinder having one end closed and the other end open. The body is provided with a case body consisting of a double cylinder disposed so that the open end of the outer cylindrical body is aligned with the end. Between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder of the case body, a sheet made of activated carbon fiber and a sheet of polyolefin or the like are stacked and rolled into a cylindrical shape, and loaded inside the inner cylinder. Is equipped with a hollow fiber membrane module in which a number of hollow fiber membranes are fixed at one end by a potting material.

In such a water purification cartridge, when raw water is introduced from between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder at the open end,
The raw water moves to the closed end side through the inside of the loaded activated carbon fiber sheet roll. During this time, the residual chlorine, chlorine odor, musty odor and trihalomethane are adsorbed and removed from the raw water by the activated carbon. Then, bacteria and fine powder are filtered by the hollow fiber membrane module loaded inside the inner cylindrical body, and purified water is discharged from the center of the open end.

[0008]

However, in the water purification cartridge described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,098, only the activated carbon compact is used as a purifying material, so that the residual chlorine in the raw water is reduced. It only removes chemicals such as odor, moldy odor and trihalomethane by adsorption. Further, the nonwoven fabric wound around the outside of the activated carbon molded body and the porous plastic sleeve at the center have a certain degree of filtration performance, but cannot remove bacteria, microorganisms, or fine powder.

On the other hand, the water purification cartridge disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 4-102697 employs a hollow fiber membrane module in addition to activated carbon as a purifying material. Microorganisms or even fine powder can be removed.

However, in the water purification cartridge disclosed in the publication, the activated carbon is formed into a sheet, and a roll is wound in a cylindrical shape by overlapping with another sheet, and the raw water is loaded into the cylindrical roll. It is introduced from the end face and contacts the activated carbon while moving along the sheet surface, but if the sheet interval is large, the contact between the activated carbon and the raw water is insufficient, and the activated carbon adsorption ability cannot be sufficiently exhibited, and If the interval is too small, the water permeability is significantly reduced, and the processing speed is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to precisely control the sheet interval. In addition, since the end face of the raw water has a small area, turbidity and dust easily accumulate on the end face, which hinders water introduction and significantly reduces the processing speed. In some cases, there was a problem that the end face was clogged before the capacity of the activated carbon reached saturation, and water could not be passed.

In addition, the production of such a wound body requires a step of forming activated carbon into a sheet or a step of winding it over another sheet, and the number of steps is large and the production cost is high. There is also. Furthermore, a case is indispensable in order to maintain the form of the wound body and the sheet interval. However, in view of environmental protection in recent years, it is desired that the case be unnecessary. It is also desired to be able to separate and discard activated carbon, which is a combustible material, and other members treated as incombustibles depending on the local government.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and includes a water purification cartridge for a household water purifier,
This water purification unit is used as a water purification unit for industrial water purification equipment.It can adsorb and remove chemical substances such as residual chlorine, chlorine odor, musty odor, and trihalomethane in raw water, as well as bacteria, microorganisms, and fine water. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive water purification unit that can remove even powder and obtain highly safe purified water, is easy to manufacture, has a small number of parts, and is inexpensive.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a raw water introduction section, a purification section communicating with the raw water introduction section and purifying the raw water,
A water discharging unit that discharges purified water purified by the purifying unit, wherein the purifying unit has a solid porous molded body mainly composed of a particulate adsorbent and an opening end formed by a potting material. A plurality of hollow fiber membranes fixed thereto, wherein the raw water introduction part is an exposed surface of at least a part of the solid porous molded body, and the water discharge part is an opening of the hollow fiber membrane fixed by a potting material. And the filling density σ of the hollow fiber membrane is 25 to 58%.

The filling density of the hollow fiber membrane is defined as S, the cross-sectional area of the hollow fiber membrane filling space of the water purification unit, A the outer diameter cross-sectional area of one hollow fiber membrane, and F the opening number of the hollow fiber membrane. Is obtained from the following equation: packing density σ (%) = {(A × F) / S} × 100.

When such a water purification unit is used as a water purification cartridge for a household water purifier, the raw water introduced from the raw water introduction section to the purification section first passes through a solid porous molded body to obtain residual chlorine and chlorine odor. In addition, impurities such as mold odor and organic substances such as trihalomethane are adsorbed and removed. Then
The hollow fiber membrane in the purifying section filters and removes 0.1 μm or more particulate matter including microorganisms, bacteria, and particulate heavy metals and aluminum, and then discharges purified water from a water discharge port.

As described above, in the water purification unit of the present invention, the purifying section has the solid porous molded body mainly composed of the particulate adsorbent and the many hollow fiber membranes whose open ends are fixed by the potting material. As a result, it is possible to adsorb and remove residual chlorine, chlorine odor, musty odor, and trihalomethane in the raw water, as well as to remove bacteria, microorganisms, and even fine particles. Can be obtained.

The solid porous compact mainly composed of a particulate adsorbent is not only capable of adsorbing and removing chemical substances such as residual chlorine, chlorine odor, musty odor and trihalomethane in raw water by the adsorbent, but also has a porous property. Due to its quality structure, it also has a filtering function for relatively large trash in raw water. for that reason,
The burden of the filtration function by the hollow fiber membrane can be reduced,
The life of the hollow fiber membrane can be extended.

Further, in this water purification unit, since the adsorbent is a solid porous molded body, assembling of the unit is easier than in a case where a casing is filled with a particulate adsorbent as in a conventional water purification cartridge. In addition, the work environment is improved without the powdery and granular adsorbent being scattered in the air at the time of filling.

It is preferable that the porosity of the solid porous molded body is set in a range of 10 to 80% in order to secure predetermined water permeability and mechanical strength. In the water purification unit of the present invention, by setting the packing density σ of the hollow fiber membrane to 25 to 58%, desired filtration performance can be obtained. Further, the filling density of the hollow fiber membrane is preferably in the range of 30 to 55%, and most preferably 35 to 52%, for improving the water flow rate.

As the hollow fiber membrane, various porous and tubular hollow fiber membranes can be used. For example, cellulose type, polyolefin (polyethylene, polypropylene) type, polyvinyl alcohol type, ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyether System, polymethyl methacrylate (PMM
A), polysulfone, polyacrylonitrile,
Those made of various materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon (registered trademark)), polycarbonate, polyester, polyamide, and aromatic polyamide can be used. Above all, polyolefin-based hollow fiber membranes such as polyethylene and polypropylene are preferable in consideration of the handleability and processing characteristics of the hollow fiber membrane and the fact that they can be incinerated at the time of disposal.

Further, although not particularly limited, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber membrane is 20 to 2000 μm, and the pore diameter is 0.01.
１1 μm, porosity 20-90%, thickness of hollow fiber membrane 5
Those having a thickness of up to 300 μm are preferred.

The hollow fiber membrane has a hydrophilic group on its surface.
A so-called permanent hydrophilic hollow fiber membrane is desirable. Furthermore, bubbles contained in the supply water stagnate on the surface of the hollow fiber membrane,
In addition to impeding the filtration flow, the filtration flow rate may be reduced. In such a case, a water purification cartridge in which a hydrophobic hollow fiber membrane and a hydrophilic hollow fiber membrane are mixed may be used to easily remove bubbles.

When the hollow fiber membrane knitted fabric described in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 1994065 is loaded into the case body of the water purification cartridge, the number of hollow fiber membranes to be used can be easily grasped, so that the packing density can be easily managed. . At the same time, it is easy to load the hollow fiber membrane knitted fabric in a sushi roll or folded shape,
The hollow fiber membrane knitted fabric spacing can be easily controlled at an equal distance, and the hollow fiber membranes can be easily and uniformly dispersed even if the target packing density is different. Furthermore, even after being processed as a water purification cartridge, the weft of the hollow fiber membrane knitted fabric was 1
Unwinding the warp near the end of one or more hollow fiber membranes is preferable because one or more hollow fiber membranes are more dispersed.

The hollow fiber membrane is fixed by a potting portion. As the potting material, a urethane resin, an epoxy resin, or a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene is preferably used.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the solid porous compact is obtained by binding a powdery and granular adsorbent with a binder.
As a specific manufacturing method of the solid porous molded body, for example, a binder of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene is added to the particulate adsorbent, and the resin is heated and melted and kneaded, and then molded into a predetermined shape. There is a method of cooling and curing.

Alternatively, one or a plurality of inorganic binders such as alumina cement are added to the particulate adsorbent, water is added and the mixture is kneaded well, and then molded into a predetermined shape. There is a method of performing heat treatment at a temperature that does not cause deterioration and curing. In addition, a thermosetting organic binder such as an epoxy resin is employed as a binder, an organic solvent such as ethanol is added, and the mixture is kneaded well, and then molded into a predetermined shape.
There is also a method of curing by heating at the above temperature. Furthermore, there is a method in which methylcellulose is added to the powdery and granular adsorbent, these are kneaded with water, formed into a desired shape, and then dried.

Examples of the adsorbent include a powdery adsorbent, a granular adsorbent obtained by granulating the powdery adsorbent, and a fibrous adsorbent. Examples of such adsorbents include natural adsorbents (natural zeolite, silver zeolite, acid clay, etc.) and synthetic adsorbents (synthetic zeolite, bacterial adsorption polymer, phosphate rock, molecular sieve, silica gel, silica alumina gel Inorganic adsorbents such as powdered activated carbon, granular activated carbon, fibrous activated carbon, block activated carbon, extruded activated carbon, molded activated carbon, etc.
Organics such as molecular adsorption resin, synthetic granular activated carbon, synthetic fibrous activated carbon, ion exchange resin, ion exchange fiber, chelate resin, chelate fiber, super absorbent resin, super water absorbent resin, oil absorbent resin, oil absorbent etc. Known materials such as a system adsorbent can be used. Among them, activated carbon excellent in adsorptivity for organic compounds such as residual chlorine and mold odor in raw water and trihalomethane is preferably used.

[0028] The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the adsorbent contains at least activated carbon. Examples of the activated carbon include plant materials (wood, cellulose, sawdust, charcoal, coconut shell charcoal, ash, etc.), and coal (peat, lignite,
Lignite, bituminous coal, anthracite, tar, etc.), petroleum quality (oil residue, sulfuric acid sludge, oil carbon, etc.), pulp waste liquid,
Carbonized synthetic resin, etc., and gas activated (steam, carbon dioxide, air, etc.) and chemical activated (calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, caustic soda, KOH etc.) as required Can be As the fibrous activated carbon, polyacrylonitrile (PA
N), a precursor obtained by carbonizing and activating a precursor made of cellulose, phenol, or petroleum-based pitch.

As the activated carbon, the packing density (0.1 to
0.5g / ml), iodine adsorption amount 500-4000mg
/ G and a particle size (0.045 to 6.3 mm).

The binder is not particularly limited as long as it can bond with the adsorbent and form micropores between the adsorbents and the binder. Examples of the binder include, but are not limited to, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and carboxymethylcellulose. (Bentonite, kaolin, ataple guide, etc.).

Among them, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is preferably used from the viewpoint of optimization of the surface area of the adsorbent, food hygiene and thermal stability. Specifically, the average molecular weight is 2,000,0
Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene of 00 to 6,000,000 g / mol is preferred. Further, the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is preferable in that no toxic gas is generated at the time of disposal or incineration.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the binder is characterized by comprising ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. In addition, in order to bond the adsorbents to each other and form micropores between the adsorbents and the binder, it is preferable that the shape of the binder is powder or granules. When the binder is powder or granules, the average particle size is appropriately selected and is not particularly limited.
0 μm, more preferably 2 μm.
The range is from 0 to 300 μm. If the average particle size is less than 5 μm, the average pore size of the formed fine pores becomes too small, so that clogging of fine substances and the like is likely to occur, and the filtration flow rate may be extremely reduced. The blending amount of the binder is not particularly limited, but is suitably from 10 to 40% by weight based on the adsorbent. The blending amount of the binder to the adsorbent is 10
If the amount is less than 40% by weight, the bonding between the adsorbents may be insufficient. If the amount exceeds 40% by weight, the filtration performance of the water purification unit may be reduced, and the micropores of the water purification unit may be closed.

The heating temperature at the time of producing the filtration filter is appropriately selected depending on the binder used, and is not particularly limited.
２６０260 ° C. The heating time is about 5 minutes to 5 hours when ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene is used. Further, the pressure at the time of producing the porous molded body is not particularly limited, and usually,
The pressure is 20 to 150 psi, but there is also a method in which the pressure is not applied at all.

Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention,
The solid porous molded body further comprises an antibacterial agent. As an antibacterial agent, in the case of inorganic, zeolite 0.1. Carriers of inorganic compounds such as silica, calcium phosphate, and alumina, and those carrying metals such as silver, copper, zinc, nickel, and cadmium. In the case of organic systems, thiabendazole (TBZ), zinc pyrithione, benzalkonium chloride, Quaternary ammonium salts, organic silicon quaternary ammonium salts, and the like, and in the case of a natural system, hinokitiol (hinoki), wasaolo (wasabi), chitosan (crab, shrimp) and the like. Among them, silver is preferably used. By including such an antibacterial agent in the solid porous molded body, the growth of bacteria and microorganisms can be suppressed.

According to the invention of claim 6, the solid porous molded body has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the hollow portion is filled with the hollow fiber membrane. As a method of filling the hollow fiber membrane with the hollow fiber membrane, for example, a hollow fiber membrane module in which the hollow fiber membrane is potted and fixed in a module case formed of a cylindrical body having a large number of holes in a peripheral wall is inserted into the hollow space. be able to. Furthermore, a cap can be fitted to the end face of the solid porous molded body into which the hollow fiber membrane module has been fitted, and the solid porous molded body can be tightly fixed. The module case may have a length extending over the entire length of the hollow fiber membrane, or may have a length extending at least in a potting portion.

Alternatively, the hollow fiber is filled in the hollow part with the end of the hollow fiber membrane aligned with one end of the solid porous molded body, and the end of the hollow fiber membrane and one end of the molded body are potted with a potting material. The end of the hollow fiber membrane can be opened by fixing and cutting the end of the potting material.

When the hollow fiber membrane is filled into the cylindrical solid porous molded body as described above, the entire outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical solid porous molded body can be used as a raw water introduction portion. Therefore, raw water can be efficiently introduced, and the processing speed can be improved.

Further, by giving the solid porous molded body a required strength, the molded body can also have a function as a casing of the water purification unit, and the number of parts of the water purification unit can be reduced. At the same time, waste can be reduced. In this case, it is preferable to attach reinforcing caps to both ends of the solid porous molded body. However, by making the caps easily removable, the solid porous body made of activated carbon which is a combustible material at the time of disposal is provided. It is possible to separate and discard the plastic molded body and other members such as hollow fiber membranes treated as incombustibles depending on the local government, which is preferable.

Further, according to the invention of claim 7, the outer peripheral surface of the solid porous molded body is covered with a nonwoven fabric. For example, when activated carbon is used as the adsorbent and solidified with a binder, the activated carbon in the form of powder does not easily fall off, but the activated carbon easily adheres to the hand when touched by hand when replacing the water purification unit. By coating the outer peripheral surface with a nonwoven fabric, such a problem can be eliminated, and a filtration function of raw water by the nonwoven fabric can be provided. Therefore, the load of the filtration function by the hollow fiber membrane can be further reduced.

According to the invention of claim 8, the solid porous molded body has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the hollow fiber membrane is disposed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. In this case, it is preferable that the entire inner peripheral surface of the solid porous molded body having a hollow cylindrical shape is used as the raw water introduction portion.

[0041]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water purification unit 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The water purification unit 1 has a purifying unit including a solid porous molded body 2 having a cylindrical shape and a hollow fiber membrane module 3 filled in a hollow portion 2a of the molded body 2.

The solid porous molded body 2 is manufactured by binding a particulate adsorbent such as activated carbon or ion exchange resin with a binder. Further, a nonwoven fabric 4 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the molded body 2. The molded article 2 can impart a desired mechanical strength by adjusting the kind and the mixing amount of the binder. In the embodiment, end caps 5 and caps 6 are attached to both end surfaces of the molded body 2 in order to complement the form stability and strength.

The end cap 5 at one end is formed of a disk having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the molded body 2, and has a flange 5 a formed on the periphery thereof, and is fitted on the end face of the molded body 2. .

The cap 6 at the other end is also formed of a disk having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the molded body 2, and has a flange 6 a formed on the periphery thereof, and is fitted on the end face of the molded body 2. . Further, an opening 6b having substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the molded body 2 is formed at the center of the cap 6, and a hollow fiber membrane module 3 described later is fixed to the opening 6b. A cylindrical flange 6c protrudes from the opening 6b for attachment to a water purifier or the like. Two sealing material fitting grooves are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the flange 6c, and ring-shaped sealing materials 7 are fitted respectively.

The hollow fiber membrane module 3 comprises a hollow fiber membrane 3
The open end of a is fixed to one end of a module case 3c formed of a cylindrical body having a large number of holes by a potting portion 3b. The module case 3c has a size that fits tightly on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 2a of the solid porous molded body 2, and has one end fitted and fixed to the opening 6b of the cap 6. The filling density σ of the hollow fiber membrane 3a is 25 to
It is set to 58%.

In this embodiment, the module case 3b extends over the entire length of the hollow portion 2a and has a length that covers the entire length of the hollow fiber membrane 3a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Not something. The module case 3b is easily manufactured as a hollow fiber membrane module 3 in which the hollow fiber membrane 3a is fixed by a potting portion 3b,
In addition, it is only necessary to have at least the same length as the length of the potting portion 3b so that the hollow portion 2a can be easily filled and fixed.

The water purification unit 1 having such a configuration is mounted and used in a water purifier for a household water purifier or a water purification unit for an industrial water purifier. In the water purification unit 1, the entire outer peripheral surface of the solid porous molded body 2 constitutes a raw water introduction section, and the open end of the hollow fiber membrane 3 a fixed by the potting section 3 b of the hollow fiber membrane module 3 is purified. Of the water discharge section.

In the water purification unit 1, raw water is introduced from the outer peripheral surface of the molded body 2 via the non-woven fabric 4 wound around the outer peripheral surface of the molded body 2, and the raw water passes through the hollow portion 2a while passing through the hollow portion 2a. Organic compounds such as residual chlorine, moldy odor, and trihalomethane are adsorbed and removed by the granular adsorbent of the molded body 2. Thereafter, fine particles of 0.1 μm or more including microorganisms and bacteria are filtered and removed by the hollow fiber membrane 3a of the hollow fiber membrane module 3 filled in the hollow part 2a.
Purified water is discharged from the open end of the hollow fiber membrane 3a, which is a water discharge section.

Since the adsorbent of the water purification unit 1 is a solid porous molded body 2, the unit can be easily assembled as compared with a case where a casing is filled with a particulate adsorbent as in a conventional water purification cartridge. Further, the powdery and particulate adsorbent does not disperse in the air at the time of filling, and the working environment is improved. In addition, the solid porous molded body 2 has a function of filtering relatively large dust and the like due to the structure of the solid porous body in addition to the adsorption performance of the adsorbent, so that the filtration function of the hollow fiber membrane 3a is not provided. The burden can be reduced, and the life of the hollow fiber membrane 3a can be extended.

Further, since the solid porous molded body 2 also has a function as a casing of the unit, the casing which is indispensable for the conventional water purification cartridge is not required, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost is low. Not only can it be manufactured more quickly, but also the amount of waste can be reduced.
Furthermore, if the end cap 5 and the cap 6 are removed,
Activated carbon, which is a combustible, can be separated from other components that are treated as incombustibles by some municipalities, and waste can be separated.

Further, the powdery and granular adsorbent is used as a solid porous compact 2
The water purification unit of the present invention, which is loaded as a water purification unit, has a slightly lower water flow rate with the adsorbent as compared with the conventional water purification cartridge which is loaded in the casing in the form of powder and granules. Compared to loading, it is less likely to cause a short path phenomenon that passes only where water flows easily. Further, the packing density σ of the hollow fiber membrane 3a is 25 to 5
By setting to 8%, the water purification unit 1 can be provided with a water passing speed and water purification performance equivalent to or higher than that of a conventional water purification cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a water purification unit 1 'according to a modification of the above embodiment. The unit 1 'is different from the above-described first embodiment in that the hollow fiber membrane module 3' is not provided with a module case, but the other components are substantially the same. Detailed description is omitted.

The hollow fiber membrane module 3 'of the water purification unit 1' comprises only a hollow fiber membrane 3'a and a potting portion 3'b, and does not have a module case. In the hollow fiber membrane module 3 ', the hollow fiber membrane 3'a is filled in the hollow portion 2a of the solid porous molded body 2, and the hollow fiber membrane 3'
The end of the hollow fiber membrane 3'a and one end of the molded body 2 are fixed with a potting material in a state where the end of the hollow fiber 2a is aligned with the open end of the hollow part 2a. After that, the end of the potting portion 3'b is cut to open the end of the hollow fiber membrane 3'a, and the hollow fiber membrane 3'a with respect to the hollow portion 2a of the solid porous molded body 2 is opened. Filling and fixing are completed.

As described above, in the present modification, the filling and fixing of the hollow fiber membrane 3'a into the hollow portion 2a of the solid porous molded body 2 can be performed in the same step, and The number of steps for manufacturing a module can be reduced, and manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water purification unit 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The water purification unit 10
In a casing 11, a purifying unit including a solid porous molded body 12 having a cylindrical shape and a hollow fiber membrane module 13 arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the molded body 12 is disposed.

The casing 11 is formed of a cylindrical body having bottom walls at both ends, and an opening 11b for introducing raw water is formed at the center of the bottom wall 11a at one end. Bottom wall 1 at the other end
1c is closed at the center and has a ring-shaped opening 11d at the periphery.
Is formed, and a hollow fiber membrane module 3 described later is fixed to the ring-shaped opening 11d.

The solid porous molded body 12 has a hollow portion 12a whose inner diameter is the same as the diameter of the raw water introduction opening 11b of the casing, and a cylindrical body whose outer diameter is the same as the inner diameter of the ring-shaped opening 11d of the casing. In the same manner as the solid porous molded body 2 of the first embodiment described above, it is manufactured by binding a particulate adsorbent such as activated carbon or ion exchange resin with a binder.

The hollow fiber membrane module 13 includes the hollow fiber membrane 1
The open end of 3a is fixed by a ring-shaped potting portion 13b. At this time, the packing density σ of the hollow fiber membrane 13a
Is set to 25 to 58%. The potting section 1
3b is formed to have the same size as the ring-shaped opening 11d of the casing 11, so that the potting portion 13b fits tightly outside the molded body 2 and the casing 11
Is fixed to the ring-shaped opening 11d.

The water purification unit 10 having such a configuration is mounted and used as a water purification cartridge of a household water purifier or a water purification unit of an industrial water purification device.
In the water purification unit 10, the entire inner peripheral surface of the solid porous molded body 12 constitutes a raw water introduction section, and the open end of the hollow fiber membrane 13 a fixed by the potting section 13 b of the hollow fiber membrane module 13 has an open end. It constitutes the spouting section for purified water.

The water purification unit 10 is connected to the solid porous molded body 1 through the raw water introduction opening 11 b of the casing 11.
It is introduced from the inner peripheral surface of the molded body 12 through the second hollow portion 12a. While the raw water passes through the inside of the molded body 12 from the inner periphery to the outer periphery, organic compounds such as residual chlorine, mold odor, and trihalomethane are adsorbed and removed by the granular adsorbent of the molded body 12. Thereafter, the hollow fiber membrane 13a of the hollow fiber membrane module 13 arranged on the outer periphery of the molded body 12
Thus, after the particulate matter having a size of 0.1 μm or more containing microorganisms and bacteria is filtered and removed, purified water is discharged from the open end of the hollow fiber membrane 13a which is a water discharge part.

As in the case of the water purification unit 1 of the first embodiment, the water purification unit 10 is easy to assemble since the adsorbent is a solid porous molded body 12, and
The powdery adsorbent does not disperse in air at the time of filling,
Work environment is improved. Further, since the solid porous molded body 12 has both the adsorption performance by the adsorbent and the filtering function by the structure of the solid porous body, the burden of the filtering function of the hollow fiber membrane 13a can be reduced, The life of the thread film 13a can be extended.

Further, the powdery and granular adsorbent is used as a solid porous compact 1
The water purification unit 10 of the present invention, which is loaded as No. 2, has a slightly lower water flow rate with the adsorbent than the conventional water purification cartridge which is loaded in the casing in the form of powder and granules. 13a is 25-58
By setting to%, the water purification unit 10 can be provided with a water passage speed and water purification performance equal to or higher than that of a conventional water purification cartridge.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on specific examples and comparative examples. (Example 1) The water purification unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 in which the hollow fiber membrane module 3 was filled in the hollow portion 2a of the cylindrical solid porous molded body 2 was used. As the solid porous molded body 2, the particle size of the powdery and granular adsorbent is 0.075 to 0.1.
Approximately 30μ center size as a binder on activated carbon of 6mm
m, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene having a molecular weight of about 4.4 million is mixed at a weight ratio of 30% by weight, heated to about 200 ° C. to melt the polyethylene, and kneaded with the activated carbon, and then the outer diameter is φ40.5 mm and the inner diameter is It was manufactured by molding into a cylindrical body having a diameter of 26 mm and a length of 87 mm with a mold, cooling and curing.

The hollow fiber membrane module 3 has a hollow fiber membrane 3a having an outer diameter of 380 μm, an inner diameter of 270 μm, and a thickness of 5 μm.
5 μm, while using a polyethylene hollow fiber membrane capable of removing particles of 0.2 μm size by 90% or more,
Module case 3 with outer diameter φ25mm and inner diameter φ24mm
c was used. The hollow fiber membrane 3a has a packing density of 47.7.
%, Effective hollow fiber membrane length 70 mm, effective membrane area 0.158 m
After filling into the module case 3c and fixing by potting in ² , the end of the hollow fiber membrane was opened and inserted into the hollow portion 2a (inner diameter φ26 mm) of the solid porous molded body 2. An end cap 5 was bonded to one end, and a cap 6 was bonded to the other end.

When the water purification unit 1 was used as a water purification cartridge for a household water purifier to purify tap water,
The required processing speed and purification performance were obtained, and the purified water had no odor at all and no microorganisms were observed. Further, when the conditioned water mixed with the fine particles having a particle size of 0.5 μm was purified, the treated water could be treated at a removal rate of 99.99%.

Further, an unused water purification unit was set in a water purifier, and sample water having a residual chlorine concentration of 2 ± 0.2 mg / L was filtered at a dynamic water pressure of 0.098 MPa for 10 minutes.
L / min, immediately measure the concentration of free residual chlorine in the filtered water, check the removal rate, and continuously repeat filtration for 5 hours or more per day while maintaining a filtration flow rate of 2 L / min. The flow of water was repeated until the residual chlorine content of 0.4 g / L became 0.4 mg / L, and the total filtered water volume up to that time was examined.
The test result of the residual chlorine filtration ability was 5,200 L.

(Example 2) A water purification unit 1 'shown in Fig. 2 in which a hollow fiber membrane module 3' was filled in a hollow portion 2a of a cylindrical solid porous molded body 2 was used. The solid porous molded body 2 is made of the same material and the same manufacturing method as in Example 1, and has an outer diameter of 46 mm and an inner diameter of 24 m.
m, a cylindrical body having a length of 92 mm was used. The same hollow fiber membrane 3'a as in Example 1 was used.

The hollow fiber membrane 3'a is aligned with one end of the hollow part 2a of the solid porous molded body 2 by aligning its end with the hollow part 2 '.
a, and both the end of the hollow fiber membrane 3'a and the molded body 2 are potted with a potting material, and a part of the potting portion 3'b is cut to open the hollow fiber membrane 3'a. And a water purification unit.

In this embodiment, since the hollow fiber membrane 3'a is directly filled in the hollow portion 2a of the molded body 2 and the module case is eliminated, a space having an inner diameter of 26 mm of the hollow portion 2a is effectively used. To fill the hollow fiber membrane 3'a. Therefore, even with the same filling factor as in Example 1, the effective film area could be as large as 0.171 m ² . In addition, since no module case is used, the number of members and the number of working steps can be reduced, and the structure is extremely easy to manufacture.

Comparative Example 1 The same hollow fiber membrane module as in Example 1 was placed in a case having substantially the same dimensions and shape as in Example 1 with an effective length of 27.5 mm and an effective membrane area of 0.163 m.
After charging with ² and potting to one end of the case, the end of the hollow fiber membrane was opened, and tap water was purified using a conventional water purification cartridge in which the remaining space was filled with granular activated carbon. As a result, the required processing speed and purification performance were obtained, and the purified water had no odor at all, and the presence of microorganisms was not recognized. However, the test result of the residual chlorine filtration ability was 3.150 L, which was smaller than that of Example 1. This is because a conventional water purification cartridge relies on a hollow fiber membrane to filter pollutants, and the life of the filtration performance of the hollow fiber membrane is short.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water purification unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a water purification unit according to a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a water purification unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water purification unit 2 Solid porous molded object 2a hollow part 3 hollow fiber membrane module 3a hollow fiber membrane 3b potting part 3c module case 4 nonwoven fabric 5 end cap 5a flange 6 cap 6a flange 6b opening 6c cylindrical flange 6d sealing material fitting groove 7 Sealing material 10 Water purification unit 11 Casing 11a Bottom wall 11b Opening for raw water introduction 11c Bottom wall 11d Ring opening 12 Solid porous molded body 12a Hollow part 13 Hollow fiber membrane module 13a Hollow fiber membrane 13b Potting part

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 4D006 GA07 HA13 JA13A JA13C JB06 KA13 KB12 MA01 MA22 MA24 MA31 MA33 MB02 MB09 MC22 MC22X MC23 MC30 MC33 MC34 MC37 MC39 MC45 MC49 MC54 MC62 NA71 PA01 PB06 PB24 PC51 4D024 AA02 AB11 BA02 CA01 BC01 DB05

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A water purification unit comprising: a raw water introduction unit; a purification unit communicating with the raw water introduction unit for purifying raw water; and a water discharge unit for discharging purified water purified by the purification unit. The unit has a solid porous molded body mainly composed of a granular adsorbent and a number of hollow fiber membranes whose open ends are fixed by a potting material, and the raw water introduction unit is at least the solid porous molded body. A part of the exposed surface, wherein the water discharging part is an open end of the hollow fiber membrane fixed by a potting material, and a filling density σ of the hollow fiber membrane is 25 to 58%. unit. 2. The water purification unit according to claim 1, wherein the solid porous molded body is obtained by binding a particulate adsorbent with a binder. 3. The water purification unit according to claim 2, wherein the adsorbent contains at least activated carbon. 4. The water purification unit according to claim 2, wherein said binder comprises ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. 5. The water purification unit according to claim 2, wherein the solid porous molded body further contains an antibacterial agent. 6. The water purification unit according to claim 2, wherein the solid porous molded body has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the hollow portion is filled with the hollow fiber membrane. 7. The water purification unit according to claim 6, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the solid porous molded body is covered with a nonwoven fabric. 8. The water purification unit according to claim 2, wherein the solid porous molded body has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the hollow fiber membrane is disposed on an outer peripheral surface thereof.