JP2003053104A - Water separating filter and water separating apparatus provided therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water separating filter for separating water with high precision from the liquid which contains water and has a hydrophobic group and to provide a water separating apparatus provided with the water separating filter. SOLUTION: This water separating filter consists of a polypropylene nonwoven fabric having 5-20 μm pore size. The liquid which contains water and has the hydrophobic group is filtered and separated into water and the liquid having the hydrophobic group by using a water separating part 1 having the water separating filter.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water separation filter for separating water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water and a water separation device equipped with the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a liquid tank type thermal shock testing apparatus is
It is used to detect defective products such as electronic parts by utilizing a rapid temperature change, or to confirm their reliability. The heat medium such as halogen-containing compounds and silicone oil used in the liquid tank type thermal shock test equipment is accompanied by the outflow of impurities (contamination) from electronic parts, the mixing of moisture from the outside, and the heat deterioration of the heat medium itself It is polluted by the generation of impurities. Since the degree of contamination of the heat medium increases with the time of use of the heat medium, it is necessary to regularly clean the heat medium to remove impurities and water and keep the heat medium clean.

The cleaning device for cleaning the heat medium includes an impurity removing section for removing impurities contained in the contaminated heat medium and a water separating section for removing water.
Generally, the impurity removing unit can remove impurities relatively easily by using an adsorption filter. On the other hand, the water separation section often separates by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between the heat medium and water.

However, when the water contained in the contaminated heat medium is separated by utilizing the difference in specific gravity, it is necessary to leave the contaminated heat medium to stand for a certain period of time for liquid separation. I can't do it quickly. Further, when the contaminated heat medium contains a very small amount of water, the heat medium and water cannot be accurately separated. Therefore, also in the water separation unit, a method of separating water using a filter can be considered, as in the impurity removal unit. As an example of a filter that can separate water, a filter intended for oil-water separation is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-31802.

The publication discloses that when an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene porous film is used as an oil / water separation filter, water can be separated from an organic solvent containing water.

[0006]

However, the oil-water separation filter of the above publication is capable of removing a trace amount of water dissolved in an organic solvent as described in the paragraph [0017]. It has a problem that it cannot be done. Therefore, there is a demand for a water separation filter that can separate even a small amount of water. Incidentally, the above-mentioned publication mentions a comparative example using a polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a certain physical property value as a filter, and the reason is not clear, but water cannot be separated from an organic solvent containing water. Is described.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a water separation filter capable of separating water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water with high accuracy. It is to provide a water separation device provided with this.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the water separation filter of the present invention is a filter for separating water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water and having a pore size of 5
It is characterized by being made of a polypropylene non-woven fabric having a size within the range of up to 20 μm.

According to the above arrangement, water can be accurately separated from the liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water. That is, since the polypropylene nonwoven fabric is hydrophobic and has a pore size in the range of 5 to 20 μm, it has a water repellent effect and does not allow water to pass through. However, the liquid having hydrophobic groups passes through the polypropylene nonwoven fabric. By utilizing such a property of the polypropylene nonwoven fabric, water can be separated from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water. Also,
Even when a trace amount of water is contained in the liquid having a hydrophobic group, it is possible to accurately separate water.

Further, the liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water is filtered by a water separation filter to separate the water. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently separate the water and the liquid having a hydrophobic group, as compared with the case where the two are separated by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between them.

Further, the water separation filter of the present invention is characterized in that the liquid having the hydrophobic group is a halogen-containing compound.

According to the above constitution, water can be separated from the halogen-containing compound containing water with high accuracy. That is, the halogen-containing compound passes through the water separation filter, while water does not pass through, so that both can be separated.

The water separation device of the present invention is characterized by including the above-mentioned water separation filter.

According to the above configuration, the water separation device includes the above water separation filter. Therefore, it is possible to provide a water separator capable of accurately separating water from a liquid containing a hydrophobic group containing water.

The water separation method of the present invention has a pore size of 5 to 5.
A polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a size within the range of 20 μm is used to separate water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water.

According to the above arrangement, water can be separated with high precision from the liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water. Further, since polypropylene non-woven fabric is used to separate water, it is more efficient than the case where both are separated by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between water and a liquid having a hydrophobic group.

Further, the water separation method of the present invention is characterized in that the liquid having the hydrophobic group is a halogen-containing compound.

According to the above construction, water can be accurately separated from the halogen-containing compound containing water.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The following will describe one embodiment of the present invention in reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.

The water separation filter according to the present invention is made of polypropylene non-woven fabric and has a pore size in the range of 5 to 20 μm, more preferably 5 to 10 μm. However, in the present invention, the pore size refers to an interval (clearance) between fibers.

As a method for producing a polypropylene non-woven fabric, for example, there is a method in which polypropylene fibers are entangled to form a felt-like non-woven fabric. In addition, a wet method in which polypropylene fibers are oriented by carding to form a sheet, and then the fibers are bonded using polyvinyl acetate, rubber latex, urea-formaldehyde, polyvinyl chloride dispersion, water-soluble carboxymethyl cellulose, etc. as an adhesive agent. There is a method. Alternatively, a mixture of polypropylene fibers and adhesive fibers may be formed into a sheet, and the adhesive fibers may be softened by a solvent or heat to be bonded. The fibers may be entangled with a high-pressure water stream.

Further, instead of carding and orienting the polypropylene fibers as described above, a dry method may be used in which the polypropylene fibers are adhered in the form of a sheet on a rubber or plastic support. As the bonding method, as described above, an adhesive may be used, or the bonding fibers may be softened by a solvent or heat and bonded. The fibers may be entangled and bonded with a high-pressure water stream or a special needle. Further, a method of extruding polypropylene fiber at high pressure and blowing it off with hot air to perform pressure bonding may be used.

By adjusting the diameter and amount of the fibers used in the above-mentioned manufacturing method, a polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a pore size in the range of 5 to 20 μm can be obtained. The thickness of the polypropylene nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited. The polypropylene nonwoven fabric does not change even when immersed in water at 90 ° C., and does not change even when left in an acidic solution having a pH of 1.

Since the polypropylene nonwoven fabric has hydrophobicity, it has a water repellent effect. Therefore, when polypropylene non-woven fabric is used as the water separation filter, water is repelled on the surface of the water separation filter and cannot pass through the water separation filter. On the other hand, a liquid having a hydrophobic group (hereinafter referred to as “hydrophobic liquid”) can pass through the water separation filter. It is possible to separate water from the hydrophobic liquid containing water by utilizing the difference in the chemical properties of the water and the hydrophobic liquid on the water separation filter.

The polypropylene non-woven fabric exhibits water repellency without water repellency treatment, but it may be water repellency treatment to further enhance water repellency. Thereby, the surface of the polypropylene nonwoven fabric is further hydrophobized, and the hydrophobic liquid containing water can be more preferably separated into water and the hydrophobic liquid.

In the present invention, it is possible to separate water and the hydrophobic liquid with high accuracy by using one polypropylene nonwoven fabric, but by further using two or more polypropylene nonwoven fabrics in piles. The performance as a water separation filter can be further improved. That is, the mechanical strength of the water separation filter and the water repellent effect can be improved, and the separation performance for separating water from the hydrophobic liquid containing water can be further improved. When a plurality of polypropylene nonwoven fabrics are stacked and used, polypropylene nonwoven fabrics having the same pore size may be used, but those having different pore sizes may be stacked. That is, for example, a polypropylene non-woven fabric having a pore size of 5 to 10 μm and a polypropylene non-woven fabric having a pore size of 10 to 20 μm may be stacked and used. In this case, it is desirable to pass the hydrophobic liquid containing water from the polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a smaller pore size.

As the above-mentioned hydrophobic liquid, organic compounds,
Although there are inert liquids such as halogen-containing compounds and silicone oils, fluorine-containing compounds containing no hydrogen-carbon bond are particularly preferably used. Examples of such a fluorine-containing compound include Fluorinert (registered trademark, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Limited) and Galden (trade name, Italy,
AUSIMONT). Fluorinert is a fluorine-based inert liquid that is preferably used as a heat medium. Galden is a fluorine-based liquid that does not contain chlorine and bromine, and does not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, so it is inert, nonflammable, and nonexplosive.

Particularly, the fluorine-containing compound as described above is
Often expensive. Therefore, even if water is mixed in the fluorine-containing compound, it is desired to remove the water and reuse it. Therefore, the accurate separation of water mixed in the fluorine-containing compound is useful for efficient use of the fluorine-containing compound and is also advantageous in terms of cost.

Next, a water separation device equipped with the water separation filter will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the water separating apparatus 20 of the present embodiment has a water separating section 1, an injection line 2, a water discharging line 5, a filtrate discharging line 6, a water tank 21, and a filtrate tank 22. Is equipped with. Further, the water separation device 20 is
Impurity removing unit 23, flow switch 24, pump 25,
A pressure switch 27 and a pressure gauge 28 are provided.

The water separating unit 1 is adapted to separate water from a hydrophobic liquid containing water (hereinafter referred to as "water-containing liquid"). As shown in FIG. 2, the water separation unit 1 is provided with a water separation filter 4, and the water separation filter 4 separates water from the water-containing liquid. The water separation unit 1 will be described in detail later.

The injection line 2 supplies the water-containing liquid to the water separation section 1. The water discharge line 5 guides the water separated from the water-containing liquid in the water separation unit 1 to the water tank 21. The filtrate discharge line 6 guides the hydrophobic liquid, which is the filtrate separated from the water-containing liquid in the water separator 1, to the filtrate tank 22.

The water tank 21 collects the water separated from the water-containing liquid in the water separating section 1. The filtered liquid tank 22 is adapted to collect the hydrophobic liquid separated from the water-containing liquid in the water separation unit 1.

The pressure adjusting valve 26 adjusts the internal air amount according to the liquid amount of the hydrophobic liquid in the filtrate tank 22.
By adjusting the amount of air in the filtrate tank 22,
The hydrophobic liquid can be suitably collected and discharged.

The impurity removing unit 23 includes a filter x and a filter y. The impurity removing unit 23 removes dust and impurities contained in the water-containing liquid. The filter x removes dust and the filter y absorbs and removes impurities. The impurity removing unit 23 may include two filters, a filter for removing dust and a filter for absorbing and filtering impurities. Further, dust and impurities may be removed by one filter.

The flow switch 24 is the flow switch 2
The flow rate of the liquid passing through 4 is detected.

The pump 25 normally sends the water-containing liquid to the impurity removing unit 23, and also supplies the water-containing liquid to the water separating unit 1 when the valve p is opened.

The pressure switch 27 detects clogging caused by dust or impurities in the impurity removing section 23 and adjusts the operating pressure of the pump 25. The pressure gauge 28 displays the pressure when the water-containing liquid is taken into the impurity removing unit 23.

The valves m and n are normally open, and are closed when the filters x and y are replaced. The valve p is in an open state when water is continuously removed by continuous operation, and is in a closed state when the introduction of the water-containing liquid into the water separation unit 1 is stopped. The valve q is in an open state when water is continuously removed by continuous operation, and is in a closed state when the supply of the hydrophobic liquid from the filtrate tank 22 is stopped. Valve m, valve n, valve p,
The valve q is not particularly limited, and may be a solenoid valve or a valve.

Next, the water separation section 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the water separation unit 1 of this embodiment comprises a filtration unit 3 and a water separation filter 4.

The filtering part 3 is adapted to separate the supplied water-containing liquid into water and a hydrophobic liquid. The filtration unit 3 has a cylindrical shape, and a water separation filter 4 is provided on the bottom surface thereof.

The water separation filter 4 is made of polypropylene non-woven fabric, and allows the hydrophobic liquid to pass through instead of the water in the water-containing liquid. The water separation filter 4 has a larger area than the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3,
It is attached so as to cover the entire bottom surface of the filtering unit 3.
The part of the water separation filter 4 that does not cover the bottom surface of the filtering portion 3 is folded and fixed along the outer surface of the filtering portion 3. By configuring in this way,
The water separation filter 4 does not have a gap between the water separation filter 4 and the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3, and the filtration in the filtration unit 3 is suitably performed.

The method of attaching the water separation filter 4 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3 may be covered so that the water-containing liquid does not leak from the filtration unit 3. Further, the shape of the water separation filter 4 may be a cartridge type, a pleated type or the like in addition to the flat membrane type which has been conventionally used. Therefore, the required filtration area may be determined from the physical properties of the water-containing liquid, the filtration flow rate, etc., and the shape of the water separation filter 4 may be determined.

The injection line 2 is inserted in the filter section 3. The injection port 2a of the injection line 2 is located near the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3 so that the water-containing liquid can be gently injected. Further, the water discharge port 5a of the water discharge line 5
Is on the side surface of the filtration unit 3 and is provided on the injection port 2a
It is formed at a position sufficiently higher than. The filtered liquid discharge line 6 is provided on the opposite side of the injection line 2 with the water separation filter 4 provided on the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3 in between.

In the water separator 20 having the above-mentioned structure, the water-containing liquid taken into the device is sent to the impurity removing section 23 to remove dust and impurities from the water-containing liquid. Further, the water separation device 20 is provided with a water separation part 1 for separating water from a water-containing liquid, and the water separation device 1 separates the water from the water separation device 2.
It is performed continuously or intermittently by switching the driving operation of 0.

First, a method for removing dust and impurities from a water-containing liquid will be described with reference to FIG. The water-containing liquid taken into the water separator 20 is introduced into the impurity removing unit 23 by the pump 25. At this time, the flow switch 24 detects the flow rate of the water-containing liquid. Pressure gauge 28
Indicates the pressure when the water-containing liquid is introduced into the impurity removing unit 23. The pressure switch 27 adjusts the operating pressure of the pump 25 based on the result of detecting clogging of the filters x and y.

The water-containing liquid introduced into the impurity removing section 23 is
The dust in the water-containing liquid passes through the filter x and is removed.
Then, impurities are adsorbed and removed through the filter y,
It is discharged to the outside of the water separation device 20. In this way
Dust and impurities in the water-containing liquid are removed.

On the other hand, the method for separating water from the water-containing liquid is performed in the following order. When the valve p is opened by switching the operation operation of the water separation device 20 to continuous operation, the water-containing liquid is supplied to the water separation unit 1 by the pump 25 via the injection line 2.

The water-containing liquid supplied to the water separation unit 1 is separated into water and a hydrophobic liquid, and the water is recovered in the water tank 21 via the water discharge line 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the water discharge line 5 is arranged at a position higher than the inlet 2a, so that the water-containing liquid can be accurately separated into the hydrophobic liquid and the water. That is, the water-containing liquid supplied from the injection line 2 to the filtration unit 3 is injected near the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3 and separated into the hydrophobic liquid that passes through the water separation filter 4 and the water that does not pass through. At this time, the water that cannot pass through the water separation filter 4 accumulates on the water separation filter 4,
It is discharged from the water discharge line 5.

On the other hand, the hydrophobic liquid separated in the water separation section 1 is recovered in the filtrate liquid tank 22 through the filtrate discharge line 6. At this time, the air in the filtrate tank 22 is discharged to the outside from the pressure adjusting valve 26 as the hydrophobic liquid is recovered. The hydrophobic liquid in the filtrate tank 22 is
The filtrate is discharged from the filtrate tank 22 through the valve q in the open state, and is sent to the impurity removing unit 23 by the pump 25. In this way, water is continuously separated from the water-containing liquid.

[0052]

EXAMPLES Example 1 A polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a pore size of 5 to 10 μm and a thickness of 0.13 mm (hereinafter, referred to as
(Described as "Filter A") was used to perform filtration experiments of liquids and water with hydrophobic groups. Galden, which is a fluorine-containing compound, was used as the liquid having a hydrophobic group. The polypropylene nonwoven fabric had a strength such that it could be torn by pulling it with a force of about 30 kg by hand, but could not be torn even if the central portion of 150 mm square was pressed with a finger.

As a result of the filtration experiment, water did not pass through the filter A at all and remained on the filter A. On the other hand, Galden
It passed through Filter A without resistance. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 2 A polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a pore size of 10 to 20 μm and a thickness of 0.13 mm (hereinafter referred to as “filter B”) was used, except that
A filtration experiment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1.

When water was gently poured on the filter B,
The water did not pass and accumulated on the filter B. On the other hand, Galden passed through Filter B without resistance. The results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 3] The filter A used in Example 1 was attached to the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3 (Fig. 2), and a filtration experiment of a mixed solution of Galden and water was conducted. The mixed solution was mixed so that the volume ratio of Galden and water was Galden: Water = 2: 1 and stirred well. The filtration flow rate of the mixed solution injected into the filtration unit 3 was set to 1.5 L / min.

Of the mixed solution, Galden passed through the filter A, and the Galden contained no water. On the other hand, the water did not pass through the filter A and remained on the filter A.

Example 4 20 mL of water was added to 2 L of Galden and well stirred. In this mixed solution, Galden and water were completely mixed, and the presence of water could not be visually confirmed. The same experiment as in Example 3 was conducted using the mixed solution.

As a result, the Galden passed through the filter A, and the Galden contained no water. on the other hand,
On the filter A, water that did not pass through the filter A remained. The results are shown in Table 2.

[Example 5] On the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3, a filter A and a filter B and a polypropylene nonwoven fabric having an average of 10 to 20 µm and a thickness of 0.22 mm (hereinafter referred to as "filter C") And put it on top of each other,
Water and Galden filtration experiments were performed. The filtering unit 3
The filter B, the filter A, and the filter C were mounted in this order on the bottom surface of the, and water or Galden was poured from the filter B side in the filtration experiment.

Although 1 L of water was put in the filter unit 3 and left for 12 hours, the water remained in the filter unit 3 without passing through the filter. When Galden was put into the filtration unit 3, Galden passed through these filters without resistance. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 6 A filtration experiment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 5 except that a mixed liquid of water and Galden was used. The mixed liquid has a volume ratio of Galden and water of Galden: Water = 2: 1.
And mixed well so that The filtration flow rate of the mixed solution injected into the filtration unit 3 was set to 1.5 L / min.

Of the mixed solution, Galden passed through these filters, and Galden contained no water. On the other hand, the water remained in the filtration unit 3. The results are shown in Table 2.
Shown in.

[Embodiment 7] The same experiment as in Embodiment 5 was carried out by stacking filters A and C on the bottom surface of the filtration unit 3 and stacking them. In addition, the filter A,
Filter C was mounted in this order, and in the filtration experiment, water or Galden was poured from the filter A side.

Although 1 L of water was put in the filtration unit 3 and left for 12 hours, the water remained in the filtration unit 3 without passing through the filter. When Galden was put into the filtration unit 3, Galden passed through these filters without resistance. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 8 A filtration experiment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 7 except that a mixed solution of water and Galden was used. The mixed liquid has a volume ratio of Galden and water of Galden: Water = 2: 1.
And mixed well so that The filtration flow rate of the mixed solution injected into the filtration unit 3 was set to 1.5 L / min.

Of the mixed solution, Galden passed through these filters, and Galden contained no water. On the other hand, the water remained in the filtration unit 3. The results are shown in Table 2.
Shown in.

[0068]

[Table 1]

[0069]

[Table 2]

[0070]

As described above, the water separation filter of the present invention is a filter for separating water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water, and is made of polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a pore diameter in the range of 5 to 20 μm. It is a composition.

Therefore, there is an effect that water can be accurately separated from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water. Further, even when a trace amount of water is contained in the liquid having a hydrophobic group, it is possible to accurately separate water.

Further, since the liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water is filtered by using the water separation filter, as compared with the case of separating the two by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between water and the liquid having a hydrophobic group. The effect is that efficient separation can be performed.

In the water separation filter of the present invention, the liquid having the hydrophobic group is a halogen-containing compound.

Therefore, there is an effect that water can be accurately separated from a halogen-containing compound containing water.

Further, the water separation device of the present invention has the above-mentioned water separation filter.

Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a water separation device capable of accurately separating water from a liquid containing a hydrophobic group containing water.

The water separation method of the present invention has a pore size of 5 to 5.
A polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 20 μm is used to separate water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water.

Therefore, there is an effect that water can be accurately separated from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water. Further, since polypropylene is used to separate water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water, the separation is required as compared with the case where the two are separated by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between water and the liquid having a hydrophobic group. The time can be shortened.

Further, the water separation method of the present invention is such that the liquid having the hydrophobic group is a halogen-containing compound. Therefore, it is possible to accurately separate water from the halogen-containing compound containing water.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a water separator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a water separator included in the water separator.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Water separation unit 3 Filter 4 Water separation filter 5 Water discharge line 20 Water separator

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A water separation filter for separating water from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water, which is made of polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a pore diameter in the range of 5 to 20 μm. 2. The water separation filter according to claim 1, wherein the liquid having a hydrophobic group is a halogen-containing compound. 3. A water separation device comprising the water separation filter according to claim 1 or 2. 4. A water separation method characterized in that water is separated from a liquid having a hydrophobic group containing water by using a polypropylene nonwoven fabric having a pore diameter in the range of 5 to 20 μm. 5. The water separation method according to claim 4, wherein the liquid having a hydrophobic group is a halogen-containing compound.