JP2016022393A - Separation membrane structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology of adequately sealing one end of a separation membrane structure main body.SOLUTION: A separation membrane structure includes: a separation membrane structure main body having a base material formed of a tubular porous inorganic material and a separation membrane formed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the base material; and a seal member which seals one end part of the separation membrane structure main body and is formed of an elastic material. The seal member includes an opening covering part which covers an opening of the one end part of the separation membrane structure main body, and a surface covering part which covers at least a part of a surface with the separation membrane formed out of the inner surface and the outer surface of the separation membrane structure main body. The opening covering part and the surface covering part are integrally formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a separation membrane structure including a separation membrane.

  Some separation membrane structures include a base material made of a tubular porous inorganic material, and a separation membrane such as a zeolite membrane formed on the surface of the base material. This separation membrane structure is used with one end sealed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-10-180060 JP 2006-88079 A

  Patent Document 1 proposes a technique in which a mixture of glass powder and alumina powder is used and fused and sealed at 500 ° C. or higher. When using the zeolite membrane as the separation membrane, if the technique of Patent Document 1 is used, the zeolite membrane may crack due to the difference in expansion coefficient between the zeolite membrane and the support during fusion. In Patent Document 2, a metal plug having the same outer diameter as that of the base material is arranged at one end of a separation membrane structure body including the base material and the separation membrane, and the end portion of the separation membrane structure body and the side surface of the metal plug are attached. A technique of coating with a band spring through a fluorine-based elastomer and sealing by heating has been proposed. In the technique of Patent Document 2, there is a possibility that the fluid to be processed leaks from the interface between the metal plug and the band spring. Such problems are not limited to zeolite membranes, but are common to separation membrane structures using various separation membranes. Therefore, a technique for appropriately sealing one end of the separation membrane structure main body has been desired.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can be realized as the following forms.

(1) According to one aspect of the present invention, a separation membrane structure is provided. This separation membrane structure comprises a separation membrane structure body comprising a substrate made of a tubular porous inorganic material, and a separation membrane formed on the inner surface or outer surface of the substrate, and the separation membrane structure A sealing member made of an elastic material that seals one end of the main body, and the sealing member covers an opening of the one end of the separation membrane structure main body, and You may provide the surface coating part which coat | covers at least one part of the surface in which the said separation membrane was formed among the inner surface and outer surface of a separation membrane structure main body.

  According to the separation membrane structure of this embodiment, since the sealing member is formed as one member having no interface, compared to a case where one end of the separation membrane structure body is sealed using a plurality of members, Leakage from the interface can be suppressed and sealing performance can be improved. Moreover, since the sealing member is formed of an elastic body, the adhesiveness with the separation membrane structure main body is good, and the sealing performance can be improved as compared with the case where a metal sealing material is used. . Furthermore, since it is not necessary to treat the sealing member under high temperature conditions (for example, 400 ° C. or higher), it is possible to prevent the separation membrane from being cracked due to the difference in expansion coefficient between the separation membrane and the substrate. In addition, at least one of cost reduction, resource saving, ease of manufacturing, and improvement of performance can be solved.

(2) In the separation membrane structure according to the above aspect, the surface covering portion of the sealing member may cover a part of the inner surface and a part of the outer surface of the separation membrane structure body. If it does in this way, since both the inner diameter side and outer diameter side of a separation membrane structure main body are sealed with a surface by a sealing member, favorable sealing performance can be obtained.

(3) The separation membrane structure of the above aspect may further include a sealing material disposed between the separation membrane and the surface covering portion. Since the separation membrane is a porous membrane, microscopically there are irregularities on the surface. Since the sealing material enters the irregularities on the surface of the separation membrane and further includes the sealing material between the sealing member and the separation membrane, the sealing property between the sealing member and the separation membrane can be improved. Further, even if there is a gap between the sealing member and the separation membrane, the sealing can be surely performed.

(4) The separation membrane structure according to the above aspect may further include an auxiliary member that covers at least a part of the seal member. In this case, the sealing member is tightened in the inner direction of the separation membrane structure body by the auxiliary member, so that the adhesion between the sealing member and the separation membrane structure body is improved, and one end of the separation membrane structure body is provided. The sealing performance is improved.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms. For example, a separation membrane structure module, a device including the separation membrane structure, a method for manufacturing a separation membrane structure, a method for manufacturing a separation membrane structure module, and the like Can be realized.

It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the separation membrane structure as 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the structure of the separation apparatus using the separation membrane structure of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the separation membrane structure as 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the cross-sectional shape of the sealing member of a 1st modification. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the separation membrane structure of a 2nd modification.

A. First embodiment:
A-1. Structure of separation membrane structure:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a separation membrane structure as a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a cut surface including a central axis of a separation membrane structure 100 formed in a substantially circular tubular shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the separation membrane structure 100 includes a separation membrane structure body 20, a seal member 40, a sealing material 50, and an auxiliary member 60.

As shown in FIG. 1, the separation membrane structure main body 20 includes a base material 22 and a separation membrane 24. The base material 22 is a porous body made of alumina formed in a substantially circular tubular shape. The material for forming the base material 22 is not limited to alumina. For example, a ceramic such as mullite, titania, zirconia, or a metal material such as stainless steel or titanium may be used. As the separation membrane 24, a zeolite membrane is used. In the present embodiment, the separation membrane 24 is formed on the outer surface of the substrate 22 by a hydrothermal synthesis method. The material for forming the separation membrane 24 is not limited to zeolite, and for example, a carbon membrane, a silica membrane, a MOF (Metal-Organic Framework) membrane or the like may be used.
Here, as the zeolite used in the present invention, conventionally known synthetic zeolite and natural zeolite can be used. In addition, zeolite is usually crystalline aluminosilicate in a narrow sense, but is not limited to this. Silicalite not containing Al, crystalline aluminosilicate phosphate (SAPO), crystalline aluminophosphate (ALPO) Crystalline titanosilicate (TS), similar zeolite obtained by partially substituting various metal elements such as Ti, Mn, Co, Fe and Zn into the skeleton of the zeolite can also be used. The specific kind of zeolite formed as a separation membrane in the present invention is not particularly limited, and any zeolite can be formed as a membrane.

  In the sealing member 40, the opening covering portion 42, the first surface covering portion 44, and the second surface covering portion 43 are integrally formed of silicone resin. In FIG. 1, a virtual boundary between the opening covering portion 42, the first surface covering portion 44, and the second surface covering portion 43 is indicated by an alternate long and short dash line for explanation.

  The opening covering portion 42 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the separation membrane structure body 20. The opening covering portion 42 covers and seals the opening at one end of the separation membrane structure body 20.

  The first surface covering portion 44 has a substantially circular tubular shape whose inner diameter is the same as the outer diameter of the opening covering portion 42. The first surface covering portion 44 covers a part of the outer surface of the separation membrane structure body 20 via the sealing material 50. That is, the first surface covering portion 44 covers a part of the surface of the separation membrane structure body 20 on which the separation membrane 24 is formed.

  The second surface covering portion 43 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the separation membrane structure body 20. The second surface covering portion 43 covers a part of the inner surface of the separation membrane structure body 20. In the present embodiment, the silicone resin seal member 40 is illustrated, but the material forming the seal member 40 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, various elastic bodies such as a soft fluororesin, silicone rubber, and fluororubber can be used. The first surface covering portion 44 and the second surface covering portion 43 in the present embodiment correspond to the surface covering portion in the claims.

  The sealing material 50 is silicone-based grease, which is applied to the outer surface of one end of the separation membrane structure body 20, so that the separation membrane 24 of the separation membrane structure body 20 and the first of the seal member 40 are used. It is in a state of being filled with the surface covering portion 44. The sealing material 50 improves the sealing performance of one end of the separation membrane structure main body 20 by the sealing member 40. In FIG. 1, the gap between the first surface covering portion 44 of the seal member 40 and the separation membrane structure body 20 is shown large for ease of explanation.

  The auxiliary member 60 is a substantially heat-shrinkable tube made of polyolefin and having an inner diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the separation membrane structure body 20 by heating. The auxiliary member 60 covers the outer peripheral surface of the seal member 40 and a part of the outer surface of the separation membrane structure body 20. By applying the sealing material 50 to the surface of one end of the separation membrane structure body 20, inserting the sealing member 40, covering the auxiliary member 60 thereon, and heating at 150 ° C. A separation membrane structure 100 shown in FIG. 1 is formed. When the auxiliary member 60 is shrunk in the inner direction of the separation membrane structure main body 20 by heating, the seal member 40 is tightened in the inner direction of the separation membrane structure main body 20 by the auxiliary member 60. The sealing performance at the end is improved. Further, with heating at 150 ° C., there is almost no thermal expansion of the separation membrane 24 and the base material 22, and no cracks are generated in the separation membrane 24. The auxiliary member 60 is not limited to polyolefin, and may be any member that shrinks by heat, and various heat-shrinkable members made of various resins such as fluoropolymers and thermoplastic elastomers can be used.

A-2. Separation device using separation membrane structure:
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing a configuration of a separation apparatus 200 using the separation membrane structure 100 of the first embodiment. The separation device 200 is a cross-flow separation device, and mainly includes the separation membrane structure 100, a tank 120, a thermostat 140, a cooling trap 160, and a vacuum pump 180.

  The thermostat 140 is a housing in which the separation membrane structure 100 is housed, and keeps the internal temperature constant. The tank 120 stores the fluid to be processed therein, and supplies the fluid to be processed to the separation membrane structure 100 via the pipe 124. Since the pipe 124 is formed in a coil shape in the thermostat 140, the temperature of the fluid to be processed supplied to the separation membrane structure 100 is maintained at a temperature corresponding to the internal temperature of the thermostat 140. The fluid to be processed after being subjected to the separation process in the separation membrane structure 100 is returned to the tank 120 via the pipe 122.

  The open end of the separation membrane structure 100 is connected to a cooling trap 160 via a pipe 162, and the cooling trap 160 is connected to a vacuum pump 180 via a pipe 164. The vacuum pump 180 sucks the inside of the separation membrane structure 100 through the cooling trap 160 and reduces the pressure to about 2 kPa. As a result, of the components contained in the fluid to be treated, the components that can pass through the separation membrane 24 and the base material 22 of the separation membrane structure 100 are sucked into the base material 22 and supplied to the cooling trap through the pipe 162. To be collected.

  The bioethanol dehydration process by the separation device 200 described above is described using bioethanol containing water as the fluid to be processed. Bioethanol is delivered from the tank 120, maintained at a predetermined temperature in the thermostat 140 through the pipe 124, and supplied to the separation membrane structure 100. Since the inside of the separation membrane structure 100 is depressurized, water in bioethanol passes through the separation membrane 24 and the base material 22 of the separation membrane structure 100 and is sucked into the separation membrane structure 100, and the pipe 162. Through the cooling trap 160. The bioethanol partially dehydrated by the separation membrane structure 100 is returned to the tank 120 via the pipe 122. By repeating this treatment, bioethanol can be dehydrated using the separation apparatus 200.

  In the above, dehydration of bioethanol using the separation apparatus 200 has been described. However, various separation fluids can be processed using the separation membrane structure 100. For example, a mixture of water and an organic substance can be used as the fluid to be treated. Examples of organic substances include various organic substances such as alcohols, ethers, esters and organic acids.

A-3. Effects of the first embodiment:
Water was separated using the separation device 200 described above using a mixed liquid of 90% ethanol and 10% water as a fluid to be treated (feed liquid), and a separation coefficient was calculated. The separation factor was calculated using the following (Equation 1).
Separation factor = (Amount of water in permeate (%) / Amount of ethanol in permeate (%)) / (Amount of water in feed (%) / Amount of ethanol in feed (%)) (Equation 1)
Here, the permeated liquid is a liquid collected by the cooling trap 160.
Water was separated (dehydrated) from the supply liquid using the separation device 200, and the permeate collected in the cooling trap 160 was collected and analyzed by gas chromatography. As a result, water was 99.5%, ethanol 0.5%. The separation factor calculated by the above (Equation 1) was 1790. In general, if the separation factor is 1000 or more, it can be said that the separation membrane structure 100 of the present embodiment is sufficiently sealed, so that one end of the separation membrane structure body 20 is sealed without leakage. I can say that.

  According to the separation membrane structure 100 of the first embodiment, since the sealing member 40 is formed as one member, compared to a case where one end of the separation membrane structure body 20 is sealed using a plurality of members. Thus, leakage from the interface can be suppressed and the sealing performance can be improved. Moreover, since the sealing member 40 is formed of an elastic body, the adhesiveness with the separation membrane structure main body 20 is good, and the sealing performance is improved as compared with the case where a metal sealing material is used. Can do.

  In the seal member 40 of the first embodiment, the opening covering portion 42 covers the opening at the end portion, and the second surface covering portion 43 is fitted inside the separation membrane structure body 20, so that the separation membrane structure body The first surface covering portion 44 covers a part of the outer surface of the separation membrane structure body 20. That is, since both the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side of the separation membrane structure main body 20 are sealed with a surface by the sealing member 40, good sealing performance can be obtained.

  According to the separation membrane structure 100 of the first embodiment, the sealing material 50 is provided between the seal member 40 and the separation membrane 24. Since the separation membrane 24 is a porous membrane, the surface is microscopically uneven. Since the grease as the sealing material 50 is semi-solid, it can penetrate into the irregularities on the surface of the separation membrane 24 and improve the sealing performance between the seal member 40 and the separation membrane 24.

  The separation membrane structure 100 of the first embodiment includes an auxiliary member 60. When the auxiliary member 60 contracts inward of the separation membrane structure main body 20 by heating, the sealing member 40 is separated from the separation membrane structure main body 20 by the auxiliary member 60. Therefore, the adhesion between the sealing member 40 and the outer surface of the separation membrane structure main body 20 is improved, and the sealing performance of one end of the separation membrane structure main body 20 is improved. Further, the auxiliary member 60 covers not only the seal member 40 but also a part of the separation membrane structure main body 20. Therefore, the inflow of the fluid to be processed between the seal member 40 and the separation membrane 24 is further suppressed, and the sealing performance is improved.

B. Second embodiment:
B-1. Structure of separation membrane structure:
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the separation membrane structure as the second embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates a cut surface including the central axis of the separation membrane structure 100A formed in a substantially circular tube shape as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the separation membrane structure 100A includes a separation membrane structure body 20A, a seal member 40A, a sealing material 50, and an auxiliary member 60A.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the separation membrane structure body 20 </ b> A includes a base material 22 and a separation membrane 24. The separation membrane structure main body 20A of the second embodiment is different from the separation membrane structure main body 20 of the first embodiment in that the separation membrane 24 is formed on the inner surface of the substrate 22. Similarly to the first embodiment, the separation membrane structure main body 20A in the present embodiment also forms the separation membrane 24 by a hydrothermal synthesis method.

  In the sealing member 40A, the opening covering portion 42A and the first surface covering portion 44A are integrally formed of silicone resin. In FIG. 3, a virtual boundary between the opening covering portion 42 </ b> A and the first surface covering portion 44 </ b> A is indicated by a one-dot chain line for explanation.

  The opening covering portion 42A has a substantially cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the separation membrane structure body 20A. The opening covering portion 42A covers the opening at one end of the separation membrane structure body 20A.

  The first surface covering portion 44A has a substantially cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the separation membrane structure body 20A. The first surface covering portion 44A covers a part of the inner surface of the separation membrane structure main body 20A via the sealing material 50. That is, the first surface covering portion 44A covers a part of the surface of the separation membrane structure body 20A on which the separation membrane 24 is formed. 44 A of 1st surface coating parts in this embodiment correspond to the surface coating part in a claim.

  The sealing material 50 is the same grease as that of the first embodiment, and is applied to the inner surface of one end of the separation membrane structure main body 20A, and the separation membrane 24 of the separation membrane structure main body 20A and the seal member The space between the first surface covering portion 44A of 40A is filled. In FIG. 3 as well, the gap between the first surface covering portion 44A of the seal member 40A and the separation membrane structure main body 20A is shown large for ease of explanation.

  The auxiliary member 60A is formed in a lid shape that covers a part of one end of the seal member 40A and the separation membrane structure body 20A. The auxiliary member 60A is a member made of polyolefin similar to that of the first embodiment, and contracts by heating. The separation membrane structure shown in FIG. 3 is obtained by applying the sealing material 50 to the inner surface of one end of the separation membrane structure body 20A, inserting the seal member 40A, covering the auxiliary member 60, and heating. A structure 100A is formed. When the auxiliary member 60A contracts in the inner direction of the separation membrane structure main body 20A by heating, the sealing member 40A is tightened in the inner direction of the separation membrane structure main body 20A by the auxiliary member 60A, and therefore the opening covering portion 42A of the seal member 40A Adhesiveness with one end surface of the separation membrane structure main body 20A is improved, and the sealing performance of one end portion of the separation membrane structure main body 20A is improved.

  Unlike the first embodiment, when processing a fluid to be processed using the separation membrane structure 100A in which the separation membrane 24 is formed on the inner surface of the base material 22, the fluid to be processed is placed inside the separation membrane structure 100A. Then, the external environment of the separation membrane structure 100A is evacuated. The auxiliary member 60A covers not only the outer peripheral surface of the opening covering portion 42A but also the entire opening covering portion 42A and a part of the separation membrane structure body 20A, and the sealing member 40A is attached to the separation membrane structure body 20A. Tightened inward. Therefore, generation | occurrence | production of the space | gap between the separation membrane structure main body 20A and the sealing member 40A by vacuuming of the external environment of the separation membrane structure 100A can be suppressed, and it can suppress that sealing performance falls.

  Using the separation membrane structure 100A of the second embodiment, the separation coefficient was calculated using a liquid mixture of 90% ethanol and 10% water as the fluid to be treated (supply liquid) as in the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, water separation (dehydration) is performed on the supply liquid using the separation device 200, and the permeate collected in the cooling trap is collected and analyzed by gas chromatography. It was 99.5% water and 0.5% ethanol. The separation factor calculated by the above (Equation 1) was 1790. That is, in the separation membrane structure 100A of the present embodiment, it can be said that one end of the separation membrane structure main body 20A is sealed without leakage, similarly to the separation membrane structure 100 of the first embodiment. Also in the separation membrane structure 100A of the second embodiment, a part of the inner surface on which the separation membrane 24 of the separation membrane structure body 20A is formed is covered by the first surface covering portion 44, and the separation membrane structure Since the inner diameter side of the main body 20A is sealed with a surface, good sealing properties can be obtained.

C. Variation:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are intended to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or one of the above-described effects. In order to achieve part or all, replacement and combination can be appropriately performed. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. For example, the following modifications are possible.

C-1. First modification:
The shape of the seal member that seals one end of the separation membrane structure main body is not limited to the above embodiment. Any shape that seals one end of the separation membrane structure body and covers a part of the surface on which the separation membrane 24 is formed may be used. For example, the shape shown in FIG. 4 may be used. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-sectional shape of the seal member 40B of the first modification. FIG. 4 illustrates a cut surface including the central axis of the seal member 40B. The sealing member 40B according to the modification includes an opening covering portion 42B, a first surface covering portion 44B, and a second surface covering portion 43B, and the cross-sectional shape is a bent shape. When the first surface covering portion 44B is repeated as indicated by an arrow Y in FIG. 4, the shape is similar to that of the seal member 40 of the first embodiment. When the separation factor was calculated using the seal member 40B as in the first embodiment, the separation factor was 1790 as in the first embodiment. That is, even if the seal member 40B of the first modification is used, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. When one end of the separation membrane structure body is sealed using the sealing member 40 of the first embodiment or the sealing member 40B of the first modification, the inner surface of the separation membrane structure body is also the outer surface. Since the separation membrane 24 is formed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the base material 22, either one of the separation membrane structure body 20 is appropriately used regardless of whether the separation membrane 24 is formed on the inner surface or the outer surface. The end can be sealed.

C-2. Second modification:
In the said embodiment, although the auxiliary member showed the example which coat | covers the outer peripheral surface whole surface of a sealing member, the auxiliary member should just coat | cover at least one part of a sealing member. Further, the sealing material 50 may not be provided. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the separation membrane structure of the second modified example. FIG. 5 illustrates a cut surface including the central axis of the separation membrane structure 100C as in FIG. 5, the vicinity of the seal member 40C of the separation membrane structure 100C is shown, and a part of the separation membrane structure body 20 is not shown. In the separation membrane structure 100C of the second modified example, the shape of the sealing member 40C and the shape of the auxiliary member 60C are different from those of the above embodiment, and the sealing material 50 is not provided.

  In the sealing member 40C, the opening covering portion 42C and the first surface covering portion 44C are integrally formed of silicone resin. In FIG. 5, a virtual boundary between the opening covering portion 42C and the first surface covering portion 44C is indicated by an alternate long and short dash line for explanation. The opening covering portion 42 </ b> C has a substantially cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the separation membrane structure body 20. The opening covering portion 42C covers and seals the opening at one end of the separation membrane structure body 20. The first surface covering portion 44C has a substantially circular tubular shape whose inner diameter is the same as the outer diameter of the opening covering portion 42C. The first surface covering portion 44C covers a part of the outer surface of the separation membrane structure body 20C. That is, the first surface covering portion 44C covers the surface of the end portion of the separation membrane structure body 20 on which the separation membrane 24 is formed. The seal member 40C is configured by removing the second surface covering portion 43 from the seal member 40 of the first embodiment. The auxiliary member 60C is formed in a tubular shape that covers a part of the seal member 40C. Even in this case, since the sealing member 40C is tightened in the inner direction of the separation membrane structure body 20 by the auxiliary member 60C, the adhesion between the sealing member 40C and the separation membrane structure body 20 is improved, and the separation membrane structure is improved. The sealing performance at one end of 100C is improved.

  Using the separation membrane structure 100C of the second modification, the separation coefficient was calculated in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Water was separated (dehydrated) from the supply liquid using the separation device 200, and the permeate collected in the cooling trap 160 was collected and analyzed by gas chromatography. As a result, water was 99.4%, ethanol It was 0.6%. The separation factor calculated by the above (Equation 1) was 1490. That is, even in this way, a part of the outer surface on which the separation membrane 24 of the separation membrane structure body 20 is formed is sealed with a surface, so that a good sealing property can be obtained. However, the separation membrane structure of the above embodiment has a higher separation coefficient than the separation membrane structure 100C of the second modified example. That is, it is preferable to provide a sealing material between the separation membrane and the sealing member because the sealing performance can be further improved.

C-3. Third modification:
In the above embodiment, a multi-layer base material having a plurality of layers having different pore diameters and materials may be used. For example, in the support having the same shape as that of the base material 22 of the above-described embodiment, an intermediate portion of a porous structure having a pore diameter smaller than that of the support and larger than that of the separation membrane 24 on the surface of the support on which the separation membrane 24 is formed You may use the base material of the 2 layer structure which provided the layer. The intermediate layer may be formed of the same material as the support, or may be formed of a different material. Further, the intermediate layer may be formed of a material having the same pore diameter as that of the support and a material different from that of the support. Furthermore, the intermediate layer may be two or more layers, and a base material having three or more layers may be formed.

C-4. Fourth modification:
In the said embodiment, although the cross-sectional shape (cut surface perpendicular | vertical to the axis line of the base material 22) illustrated circular shape as a shape of the base material 22, the shape of the base material is not limited to this. For example, it may be a circular tube having an elliptical cross section. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape may be a polygonal tube having a polygonal shape (triangle, quadrangle, pentagon, hexagon, etc.). The effect similar to the said embodiment can be acquired by forming the shape of a sealing member according to the cross-sectional shape of a base material.

C-5. Fifth modification:
In the said embodiment, although the separation membrane structure showed the example provided with an auxiliary member, you may make it the structure which does not provide an auxiliary member. Even in this case, the sealing member covers the opening covering portion that covers the opening at one end of the separation membrane structure main body, and the surface that covers part of the surface of the separation membrane structure main body on which the separation membrane is formed. Since the covering portion is provided, it is possible to satisfactorily seal one end portion of the separation membrane structure body.

C-6. Sixth modification:
In the said embodiment, although the silicone type grease was illustrated as the sealing material 50, it is not limited to this, You may use semisolid paste-like sealing materials other than a fluorine-type grease and grease. Further, an adhesive may be used as the sealing material 50. When an adhesive is used as the sealing material 50, the sealing material 50 becomes a solid layer in the separation membrane structure, but the adhesive is semi-solid (or liquid) when applied to the separation membrane 24. Then, it enters into the irregularities on the surface of the separation membrane 24. When the adhesive is hardened, the separation membrane 24 and the sealing member are bonded to each other, so that the sealing performance is improved. Moreover, even if it forms using sealing agents, such as a butyl rubber and silicone, as the sealing material 50, a sealing performance is improved like the case where an adhesive agent is used. However, when a semi-solid paste-like sealing material such as grease is used as the sealing material 50, for example, when the sealing member is damaged, the separation membrane structure body and the sealing member can be easily separated. Therefore, it contributes to easy maintenance.

20, 20A ... separation membrane structure body 22 ... base material 24 ... separation membrane 40, 40A, 40B, 40C ... sealing member 42, 42A, 42B, 42C ... opening covering part 43, 43B ... second surface covering part 44, 44A, 44B, 44C ... 1st surface coating | coated part 50 ... Sealing material 60, 60A, 60C ... Auxiliary member 100, 100A, 100C ... Separation membrane structure 120 ... Tank 122, 124 ... Piping 140 ... Constant temperature device 160 ... Cooling Trap 162,164 ... Piping 180 ... Vacuum pump 200 ... Separator

Claims (4)

A separation membrane structure main body comprising a substrate made of a tubular porous inorganic material, and a separation membrane formed on the inner surface or outer surface of the substrate;
A sealing member made of an elastic material for sealing one end of the separation membrane structure body;
With
The sealing member is
An opening covering portion covering the opening of the one end of the separation membrane structure body;
A surface covering portion that covers at least a part of the surface on which the separation membrane is formed among the inner surface and the outer surface of the separation membrane structure main body,
The said opening coating | coated part and the said surface coating | coated part are the separation membrane structures formed integrally. In the separation membrane structure according to claim 1,
The separation membrane structure, wherein the surface covering portion of the sealing member covers a part of the inner surface and a part of the outer surface of the separation membrane structure main body. In the separation membrane structure according to claim 1 or 2,
A separation membrane structure further comprising a sealing material disposed between the separation membrane and the surface covering portion. In the separation membrane structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The separation membrane structure further comprising an auxiliary member that covers at least a part of the seal member.

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