JPS6197005A - Manufacture of hollow yarn membrane module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To distribute uniformly hollow yarn membranes in a supporting mem ber by heat-treating the pat of the hollow yarn membrane to be fixed at the temp. corresponding to the m.p. for the membrane before a raw material resin of a fixing member is injected between porous hollow yarn membrane and cured and preventing the intrusion of the resin into the hollow part of the hollow yarn membrane. CONSTITUTION:At least a part of the part of a hollow yarn membrane 3 fixed by a fixing member 2 is heat-treated at the temp. ranging from the temp. 10 deg.C lower than the m.p. of the membrane 3 to the temp. 30 deg.C higher than the m.p. to close the fine pores of the membrane 3 by thermal deformation. After the heat treatment, a hollow yarn membrane module is manufactured by the conventional manufacturing process of the module. Consequently, the intrusion of a raw material resin of a liq. fixing member into the hollow part of the membrane 3 through the fine pores of the wall of the membrane 3 can be prevented when the hollow yarn membrane 3 is fixed in the supporting member 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module, and more particularly to a method for pretreating a porous hollow fiber membrane used for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module.

[Prior Art] Hollow fiber filtration membranes made of homogeneous membranes or porous membranes can have a larger membrane area than flat membranes.

In addition, compared to other filtration means, it is easy to handle and has excellent filtration performance.For this reason, in recent years modularized hollow fiber filtration membranes have been used in fields where precision filtration is required. Applications to artificial organs or as artificial organs are being considered.

Conventionally, such hollow fiber membrane modules have been manufactured by filling the support member with liquid resin such as polyurethane, which is the raw material for fixing the hollow fiber membranes arranged in the support member of the module, and then using a centrifugal method. Generally, the liquid resin is manufactured by a method of solidifying the resin while moving it to a predetermined position within the support member of the module.

In the case of a hollow fiber membrane module that uses a homogeneous membrane as the hollow fiber membrane, the adhesive surface between the hollow fiber membrane and the fixing member is surface adhesion using a cylindrical surface. It was necessary to select the raw material resin for the fixing member in consideration of the material of the membrane.

On the other hand, in the case of a hollow fiber membrane module that uses a porous membrane as the hollow fiber membrane, the raw resin of the fixing member also penetrates into the pores of the membrane wall of the porous hollow fiber membrane and solidifies. The membrane and the fixing member were fixed in a physically fitted state, and there was almost no peeling between them.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module using a porous hollow fiber membrane as a filtration membrane by a centrifugal method using a liquid resin, the following problem occurred. In other words, if a liquid resin with a relatively low viscosity is used as the fixing member, when the liquid resin is moved to a predetermined position by centrifugation and solidified, the liquid resin in the supporting member will normally have a viscosity of 0.
．． A pressure of about 0.01 to 0.5 Kg/am2G is applied, but in order to improve adhesion even with this pressure,
Since a liquid resin that is compatible with the material of the hollow fiber was originally selected, the liquid resin sometimes penetrated into the hollow part of the hollow fiber membrane through the pores in the membrane wall of the porous hollow fiber membrane. This tendency becomes more pronounced as the diameter of the pores increases. For this reason, partial differences in pore diameter within the storage chamber of the hollow fiber membranes may cause differences in liquid flow resistance pressure in the hollow portions of each hollow fiber membrane, or in extreme cases, In some cases, the membrane becomes clogged and no longer functions as a filter membrane. On the other hand, if a liquid resin with high viscosity is used to prevent the occurrence of such a phenomenon, it is possible to inject the liquid resin into the support member without contacting the membrane wall that constitutes the filtration section of the hollow fiber membrane. Not only is it difficult to do this, but it is also difficult to uniformly distribute the liquid resin to the hollow fiber membrane, inject it, and solidify it. For these reasons, it has been difficult to manufacture hollow fiber membrane modules using porous hollow fiber membranes as filtration membranes having a predetermined performance while keeping the incidence of defective products low.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module in which the liquid resin, which is the raw material for the fixing member, does not penetrate into the hollow part of the porous hollow fiber membrane, and in which the hollow membrane is uniformly distributed within the support member. It is about providing.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the distribution of liquid flow resistance pressure in the hollow portion of each porous hollow fiber membrane disposed within the hollow fiber membrane module, and to produce a hollow fiber membrane module having the desired performance as a defective product. The object of the present invention is to provide a method that can be manufactured while keeping the incidence of .

[Means for solving the problems] That is, the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention includes:
In a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module having a support member and a large number of porous hollow fiber membranes fixed inside the support member with a fixing member, the hollow fibers having a raw material resin for the fixing member arranged inside the support member. Prior to injecting between the membranes and solidifying, at least a part of the portion of the porous hollow fiber membrane to be fixed within the fixing member is heat treated at a temperature within the range of the melting point of the hollow fiber membrane -10°C to +30°C. The method is characterized by comprising a step of clogging at least a portion of the pores on the surface of the hollow fiber membrane.

[Preferred embodiment for carrying out the invention] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a typical embodiment of a hollow fiber membrane module manufactured by the method of the present invention, and this drawing will be referred to below. The method of the present invention will be explained in detail.

The hollow fiber membrane module manufactured by the method of the present invention is
Basically, the support member 1 includes a support member 1, a fixing member 2, and a porous hollow fiber filtration H3, and various other members may be attached as desired. It functions to support the entire filtration module, and typically has a cylindrical shape as shown in Figure 1, but it may also be box-shaped with a rectangular or other cross-sectional shape. In some cases, one hollow fiber filtration module may have two or more supporting members 1.

The porous hollow fiber filtration @ 3 is made of a soft-melt resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and is bundled into a desired shape such as a U-shape or a straight line at a predetermined position on the support member 1 by means of a fixing member 2. Fixed.

In the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, first, the hollow fiber membrane is attached to the vicinity of the end of the hollow fiber [3 constituting the module, that is, at least a portion of the portion fixed by the fixing member 2]. Melting point of 3 -10℃ to melting point +30
The heat treatment is carried out at a temperature within the range of °C. The purpose of this heat treatment is to close the pores in the membrane wall of the hollow fiber membrane 3 by thermal deformation without substantially changing the inner diameter of the hollow part of the hollow fiber membrane 3,
To prevent a liquid raw material resin of a fixing member from penetrating into the hollow part of a hollow fiber RIJ3 through the pores of the membrane wall of the hollow fiber membrane 3 when fixing the hollow fiber membrane 3 in a support member l. It is in. Therefore, it is not necessary to close the pores in the membrane wall by this heat treatment until all of the pores are closed, but if at least some of them are closed, the pores in the membrane wall as a whole become smaller than before the heat treatment. It is sufficient if the pore size of the membrane can be reduced to make it difficult for the liquid resin to enter the hollow portion through the pores of the membrane wall.

Specifically, the heat treatment near the end of the hollow fiber membrane is carried out by methods such as dry heat treatment using hot air, wet heat treatment using steam, and immersion treatment in high-temperature liquid such as molten metal or heating medium. . The heat treatment needs to be carried out at a temperature of at least -10°C above the melting point of the hollow fiber membrane, but it is possible to reduce the pores in the membrane wall of the hollow fiber membrane without changing the inner diameter of the hollow part of the hollow fiber membrane. Conditions suitable for clogging rA vary depending on the method of heat treatment of the hollow fiber membrane and cannot be specified in part.

For example, when processing with hot air, it is preferable to perform the heat treatment at a temperature just below the temperature at which the pores sufficiently shrink without causing large deformations such as crimping in the entire hollow fiber. .

As for the manufacturing process of the hollow fiber membrane module after the heat treatment of the vicinity of the end of the hollow fiber membrane is performed, a conventionally known module manufacturing process can be adopted as is. That is, for example, after the hollow fiber membranes 3 are bundled into a desired shape and their open ends are closed or temporarily fixed, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is placed in a predetermined position within a support member, and polyurethane, unsaturated polyester, or epoxy resin is , Inject liquid raw material resin for the fixing member such as silicone resin into the support member and between the hollow fiber membranes.Next, each member constituting the module is fixed using an appropriate jig, etc., and at the same time, liquid raw resin 5 leaks. After sealing to prevent the liquid from leaking, the liquid raw material resin is moved to a predetermined position and solidified using a centrifugal method.

After the liquid raw material resin has almost solidified within the support member, remove the used jig from the module, cut and remove the unnecessary portion of the fixing member formed by solidifying the liquid raw material resin, and open the ends of the 4 hollow fiber membranes. A hollow fiber membrane module is manufactured by this process.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module of the present invention, the raw material resin of the fixing member does not penetrate into the hollow part of the hollow fiber membrane despite using a porous hollow fiber membrane. In addition, since a low-viscosity resin can be used as the raw material resin for the fixing member, it is possible to manufacture a hollow fiber membrane module in which the hollow fiber membranes are uniformly distributed within the support member. Therefore, it has become possible to manufacture a hollow fiber membrane module containing a porous hollow fiber membrane while keeping the incidence of defective products low, and it has become possible to expand the field of application of the module.

[Example] Hereinafter, the method of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples.

Example 1 Polyethylene hollow fiber membrane (EHF-2077, trade name,
Made by Mitsubishi Rayon■ Bubble point with ethanol
2.2Kg/cm2. Heat treatment was carried out by blowing hot air at 130° C. for 5 minutes on the entire part to be fixed in the fixing member (inner diameter 270 u, M thickness 60 mm).

Approximately 10,000 hollow fiber membranes subjected to this heat treatment were inserted into a support member with a diameter of 8 cmφ, and then polyurethane adhesive (N-4403/N-4221) was injected into the support member, and the rotation radius was 1.2 m. The mixture was solidified by centrifugation at a rotational speed of 130 rpm to form a hollow fiber module having a fixing member with a length of 6 cm.

Regarding this hollow fiber module, the fixing member portion was cut almost perpendicularly to the hollow fibers, and the hollow portions of the hollow fiber membranes were observed under a microscope, but no adhesive had entered the hollow portions.

Comparative Example 1 A similar hollow fiber module was produced under exactly the same conditions as in Example 1, except that the hollow fiber membrane was not heat-treated.

When the hollow portions of the hollow fiber membranes were observed using a microscope in the same manner as in Example 1, it was observed that the adhesive had penetrated into the hollow portions of approximately 30% of the hollow fiber membranes. Furthermore, in about half of them, the hollow portions were almost completely blocked.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a typical embodiment of a hollow fiber membrane module manufactured by the method of the present invention. l: Supporting member 2: Fixing member 3: Hollow fiber membrane Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) In a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module having a supporting member and a large number of porous hollow fiber membranes fixed inside the supporting member by fixing members, a raw material resin for the fixing member is disposed inside the supporting member. Before injecting and solidifying between the hollow fiber membranes,
At least a part of the portion of the porous hollow fiber membrane fixed within the fixing member is heated from the melting point of the hollow fiber membrane by -10°C to the melting point +3°C.
A method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane module, comprising the step of clogging at least a portion of the pores on the surface of the hollow fiber membrane by heat treatment at a temperature within the range of 0°C.