JP2004351246A - Method for producing hollow fiber membrane module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the intrusion of a potting material into hollow fiber membranes without the mixing of impurities when the potting material is injected to bind/fix hollow fiber membrane bundles in a housing container in a hollow fiber membrane module production process. <P>SOLUTION: In the method for producing the hollow fiber membrane module, the end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundles are bound/fixed by the potting material into one or more cylindrical housing containers. In the method for producing the hollow fiber membrane module, in melting/cutting for cutting the hollow fiber membrane bundles while melting the bundles, after a sheet-like heating element 0.1 mm or below in thickness is used, the bundles are bound/fixed by the potting material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module, and a method for preventing intrusion of a potting material into a hollow fiber membrane when pouring a potting material to focus and fix the hollow fiber membrane bundle in a storage container. About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART In recent years, hollow fiber membrane modules have been used in a wide variety of fields such as industrial fields such as water treatment membranes and medical fields such as blood treatment, and the demand for water purifiers, artificial kidneys, artificial lungs and the like has been extremely increased.
[0003]
In general, in a hollow fiber membrane module, a number of hollow fiber membranes are bundled to form a hollow fiber membrane bundle, and after inserting the hollow fiber membrane bundle into a cylindrical storage container, a potting material is used between the hollow fiber membranes of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and The bonding between the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the cylindrical storage container was performed simultaneously by the potting material, and after the potting material was solidified, the hollow fiber membrane bundle was cut simultaneously with the potting material in the cross-sectional direction of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and fixed. A manufacturing method for obtaining an open end of a hollow fiber membrane has been used. As a method of fixing and fixing the bundle, in many cases, potting is performed using centrifugal force obtained by rotating the cylindrical storage container into which the hollow fiber membrane bundle is inserted in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the hollow fiber membrane bundle. However, if the hollow portion of the hollow fiber membrane is open when the potting material is charged, the potting material enters into the hollow fiber membrane, and after the potting material has solidified, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is transferred simultaneously with the potting material. Even when the membrane bundle is cut in the cross-sectional direction, the open end of the fixed hollow fiber membrane cannot be obtained.
[0004]
Therefore, the following method has been implemented as a method for preventing the intrusion of the potting material into the hollow fiber membrane. Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 62-31962 describes a method of controlling the temperature and the number of rotations at the time of potting to prevent a potting material from entering the hollow fiber membrane. JP-A-61-11111 and JP-A-62-269709 describe a method of applying a positive pressure to a hollow fiber membrane to prevent a potting material from entering the hollow fiber membrane. . However, since these methods are based on the premise that the hollow fiber membrane has high airtightness, any hollow fiber membrane having low airtightness causes a hollow fiber membrane (impervious fiber) into which a potting material enters. Further, as a method for preventing the intrusion of the potting material into the hollow fiber membrane even with a low airtight hollow fiber membrane, a method of sealing the hollow fiber membrane by melting and cutting the hollow fiber membrane using a linear heating element. Are described in JP-A-3-161027 and JP-A-58-109104. These methods are effective when sealing a small number of hollow fiber membranes. However, when sealing about 10,000 hollow fiber membranes, they are melted by the heat generated from the linear heating element. The hollow fiber membranes cannot be individually sealed, and the hollow fiber membranes adhere to the adjacent hollow fiber membranes in the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and the hollow fiber membranes cannot be individually sealed. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to reduce the cutting speed to about 1 cm / min. However, a cutting speed of about 1 cm / min is not practical in terms of production efficiency.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention is capable of potting a hollow fiber membrane having low airtightness without causing a thread breakage, and producing a hollow fiber membrane module in a short time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module for the purpose of preventing the mixing of such components into the hollow fiber membrane module.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies and, as a result, have arrived at the present invention.
[0007]
That is, in focusing and fixing the hollow fiber membrane bundle into the cylindrical storage container by the potting material, the intrusion of the potting material into the hollow fiber membrane is reliably prevented, and the number of times of injecting the potting material is only once. Thus, a reliable module can be manufactured in a short time, and further, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is melt-cut with a plate-shaped heating element having a specific thickness so that soot and the like are not mixed in the process. The present invention has established a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module that completely and individually seals the cut surfaces of hollow fiber membranes in a membrane bundle.
[0008]
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module in which the ends of hollow fiber membrane bundles are bundled and fixed in a cylindrical storage container with a potting material, wherein a plate-shaped heating element having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less is placed from bottom to top. A method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module, characterized in that the hollow fiber membrane bundle is melted and cut by moving the hollow fiber membrane bundle in a direction, and then the hollow fiber membrane bundle is focused and fixed with a potting material.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, by performing the following steps, it is possible to easily prevent the intrusion into the hollow fiber membrane at the time of injecting the potting material, and make the number of times of injecting the potting material once, and to produce a reliable module in a short time Enable.
[0010]
(1) A hollow fiber membrane longer than the storage container is inserted into the cylindrical storage container. The protruding portion of the inserted hollow fiber membrane bundle is melt-cut using a plate-like heating element. In order to reduce the amount of melting due to the sealing of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the thickness of the plate-shaped heating element should be 0.1 mm or less so that soot and the like due to melting and cutting do not enter the hollow fiber membrane. Is preferred.
This is to prevent the hollow fiber membrane from adhering to the upper part of the plate-shaped heating element during the melting and cutting and burning or carbonizing.
[0011]
Further, by giving the plate-shaped heating element a width, a high heat capacity can be provided. Preferably, the width is at least 5 mm.
[0012]
The temperature at the time of melting and cutting the plate-shaped heating element is preferably set to 600 to 900 ° C. This is a temperature at which the hollow fiber membrane does not burn even if it comes into contact with the plate-shaped heating element instantaneously, and a temperature at which the hollow fiber membrane undergoes glass transition by radiant heat of the plate-shaped heating element.
Melt cutting is performed by moving the plate-shaped heating element upward from below. When moved upward from below, compared to when moved downward from above, the heat capacity of the plate-shaped heating element is maintained, and further, the residual heat can be given to the hollow fiber membrane before melting and cutting. is there.
[0013]
The term "plate-like heating element" as used in the present invention has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, and the moving direction during the melting and cutting is the vertical direction, and the hollow fiber membrane axial direction is the horizontal direction. A value obtained by dividing the length by the lateral length is 1 or more. Even when the temperature is high, the melting amount of the hollow fiber membrane can be reduced.
[0014]
The above-mentioned linear heating element has a circular cross-sectional shape, and in order to raise the temperature, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the wire, so that the amount of melting of the hollow fiber membrane also increases. It is different. Even if 10000 hollow fiber membrane bundles are melted and cut in less than 25 seconds by using a plate-shaped heating element, no soot is generated and the hollow fiber membrane bundles are securely sealed individually. it can.
[0015]
It is preferable to use enamel, steel, copper, or the like as the plate-like heating element.
[0016]
As the hollow fiber membrane, cellulose, polyacrylonitrile, polymethyl methacrylate, polyether sulfone, polysulfone, or the like is used. Among them, it is preferable that polysulfone is contained because of high water permeability and high separation performance.
[0017]
Further, it is preferable that the weight of water relative to the weight of the hollow fiber membrane is 1% by weight or less, since the heat capacity of the hollow fiber membrane can be reduced and the melt cutting can be performed in a short time.
[0018]
(2) Attach the casting cap to the cylindrical storage container containing the hollow fiber membrane bundle in which the hollow fiber membranes of (1) are individually sealed.
[0019]
(3) A potting material is injected into the cylindrical storage container of (2) while applying a centrifugal force to bond between the hollow fiber membranes and between the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the cylindrical storage container. As the potting material, for example, a urethane resin or an epoxy resin is used.
[0020]
(4) After the potting material of (3) is cured, the casting cap is removed, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle is cut together with the potting material in a direction perpendicular to the hollow fiber membrane axis direction according to the length of the cylindrical storage container. .
[0021]
(5) A hollow fiber membrane module having a function is completed by attaching a cap having a fluid inlet to the hollow fiber membrane module having the hollow fiber membrane end opened according to (4).
[0022]
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in the potting by a centrifugal method, a potting material injection | pouring number is made only once and a reliable module can be manufactured in a short time. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the time of the manufacturing process of the hollow fiber membrane module.
[0023]
The hollow fiber membrane of the present invention is suitably used in an industrial field such as water treatment or a medical field such as an artificial kidney.
[0024]
【Example】
(Example 1)
A polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (outer diameter: 280 μm, film thickness: 40 μm) obtained by heating and dissolving 0% polysulfone, polyvinylpyrrolidone, dimethylacetamide, and water with respect to the weight of the hollow fiber membrane having separation performance. The converged 10600 pieces were placed in a cylindrical container.
[0025]
Three sets of these containers were prepared, and three sets were arranged in parallel horizontally. The hollow fiber membrane bundle was melt-cut in a cross-sectional direction at a position 10 mm from the end of the container. Melt cutting is performed using a nichrome plate with a width of 10 mm, a thickness of 0.1 mm, and a length of 300 mm, the temperature of which is 760 ° C. by electric heating, and moves from bottom to top at a speed of 3.17 mm / s. It was done by doing.
[0026]
A casting cap was attached thereto, and a centrifugal force (50 G) was applied thereto, and a potting agent having a viscosity of 0.7 Pa · s after mixing of the two liquids was injected, so that the hollow fiber membranes and the hollow fiber membrane bundle were in contact with each other. Bonding between module cases was performed.
[0027]
After the potting material was cured, the hollow fiber membrane was cut along with the potting material in the cross-sectional direction according to the length of the container.
[0028]
When the opening state of the hollow fiber membrane was examined, no penetration of the potting material (two-component urethane resin KC256-KN421 manufactured by Nippon Polyurethane, compounding ratio 54:46, viscosity 1200 cps) was found in the hollow fiber membrane, and the hollow fiber membrane was melted. There was no generation of soot at the time of cutting, and it was good.
(Comparative Example 1)
A polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (outer diameter: 280 μm, film thickness: 40 μm) in which the weight of water relative to the weight of the hollow fiber membrane having separation performance was 1% or less, and 10600 pieces were converged and placed in a cylindrical container.
[0029]
Three sets of containers were prepared, three sets were arranged horizontally, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle was melt-cut in the cross-sectional direction at a position of 10 mm from the end of the container.
[0030]
Melt cutting was performed using a nichrome plate having a thickness of 0.2 mm, a width of 5 mm, and a length of 300 mm and having a temperature of 760 ° C. by electric heating, and was cut from the bottom upward at a speed of 3.17 mm / s. At the time of this melting cutting, soot adhered to the upper part of the plate-shaped heating element, rose by heat and adhered to the module.
(Comparative Example 2)
A polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (outer diameter: 280 μm, film thickness: 40 μm) in which the weight of water relative to the weight of the hollow fiber membrane having separation performance was 1% or less, and 10600 pieces were converged and placed in a cylindrical container.
[0031]
Three sets of containers were prepared, three sets were aligned horizontally, and three sets were arranged side by side. The hollow fiber membrane bundle was melt-cut in the cross-sectional direction at a position of 10 mm from the end of the container. Melt cutting was performed at a rate of 3.17 mm / s from bottom to top using a nichrome plate having a width of 10 mm, a thickness of 0.1 mm, and a length of 300 mm and having a temperature of 760 ° C. by electric heating.
[0032]
The melt cut surface of the obtained hollow fiber membrane bundle was investigated. All of the 10600 hollow fiber membranes were not sealed, and the sealed portion was immediately broken when the sealed hollow fiber membrane was touched. Potting was performed in the same manner as in Example 1, but the potting material penetrated into the hollow fiber membrane.
(Comparative Example 3)
A polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (outer diameter: 280 μm, film thickness: 40 μm) in which the weight of water relative to the weight of the hollow fiber membrane having separation performance was 1% or less, and 10600 pieces were converged and placed in a cylindrical container.
[0033]
Three sets of containers were prepared, and three sets were arranged horizontally and arranged in parallel, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle was melt-cut in a cross-sectional direction at a position 10 mm from the end of the container.
[0034]
Melt cutting was performed by using a nichrome wire having a wire diameter of 3 mm and a length of 300 mm and heated at 760 ° C. by heating at a speed of 3.17 mm / s from the bottom to the top.
[0035]
The melt cut surface of the obtained hollow fiber membrane bundle was investigated. Although the hollow fiber membrane was sealed, there was no gap between the hollow fiber membranes. Potting was performed in the same manner as in Example 1, but the sealing between the hollow fiber membranes with the potting material was not complete.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and reliably manufacture a module in a short time by completely sealing a hollow fiber membrane bundle and preventing a potting material from entering the hollow fiber membrane.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view when a hollow fiber membrane module is melt-cut in an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hollow fiber module with a medium-sized cap mounted in the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an end face of a hollow fiber membrane module after potting in an example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... cylindrical container,
2. Hollow fiber membrane bundle
3 ... plate-like heating element,
4 ・ ・ ・ Hollow fiber membrane fusion part
5 Potting material,
6 ... casting cap,
7 ... End of hollow fiber membrane

Claims (4)

In a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module in which an end of a hollow fiber membrane bundle is focused and fixed by a potting material in a cylindrical storage container, a plate-shaped heating element having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less is moved upward from below. Thus, after the hollow fiber membrane bundle is melted and cut, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is focused and fixed with a potting material. The method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the fixing of the bundle of the hollow fiber membrane bundles is performed by a single potting material injection. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight of water relative to the weight of the hollow fiber membrane is 1% by weight or less. 4. The method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module according to claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber membrane contains polysulfone as a material.

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