1. A membrane for fluid separation prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
a) providing a polyimide polymer comprising a plurality of first repeating units of a formula (I), wherein said formula (I) is:
in which R1 of said formula (I) is a moiety having a composition selected from the group consisting of a formula (A), a formula (B), a formula (C), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (A), said formula (B), and said formula (C) are:
and in which R2 of said formula (I) is a moiety having a composition selected from the group consisting of a formula (Q), a formula (S), a formula (T), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (Q), said formula (S), and said formula (T) are:
in which Z of said formula (T) is a moiety having a composition selected from the group consisting of a formula (L), a formula (M), a formula (N), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (L), said formula (M), and said formula (N) are:
b) annealing said polyimide polymer to form an annealed polymer;
c) synthesizing a concentrated solution, wherein said concentrated solution comprises a solvent and said annealed polyimide polymer; and
d) forming a membrane.
2. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said annealing step is conducted by a process selected from the group consisting of mechanical annealing, thermal annealing, or combinations thereof.
3. The membrane of claim 2, wherein said annealing step is conducted for a period of time of about 6-30 hours at a temperature of about 100-250\xb0 C.
4. The membrane of claim 3, wherein said period of time is about 10-16 hours and said temperature is about 140-180\xb0 C.
5. The membrane of claim 4, wherein said annealing step is conducted under a vacuum of greater than about 15 inches of mercury.
6. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said concentrated solution comprises about 30 weight % said annealed polyimide polymer, wherein said solvent is NMP, and wherein said concentrated solution has a zero-shear complex viscosity of greater than about 90 Pa\xb7s at 40\xb0 C.
7. The membrane of claim 6, wherein said concentrated solution has a zero-shear complex viscosity of greater than about 150 Pa\xb7s at 40\xb0 C.
8. The membrane of claim 6, wherein said concentrated solution has a zero-shear complex viscosity in a range of about 150 Pa\xb7s to about 500 Pa\xb7s at 40\xb0 C.
9. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said membrane is a hollow fiber membrane.
10. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said polyimide polymer is selected from a group consisting of P84 polymer, P84HT polymer, or
11. The membrane of claim 10, wherein said polyimide polymer has an inherent viscosity of greater than about 0.52 dlgm.
12. The membrane of claim 10, wherein said annealed polyimide polymer is has an inherent viscosity of greater than about 0.58 dlgm.
13. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said annealing step increases an inherent viscosity of said polyimide polymer by at least about 5%.
14. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said annealed polyimide polymer further comprises a second repeating unit of a formula (II), wherein said formula (II) is:
wherein R1 and R2 are moieties as defined for formula (I) above, and
wherein said annealed polyimide polymer comprises less than about 3 mole % said second repeating units.
15. The membrane of claim 14, wherein said annealed polyimide polymer comprises less than about 1 mole % said second repeating units.
16. The membrane of claim 1, wherein said first repeating units comprise moieties selected from the group consisting of a formula (Ia), a formula (Ib), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (Ia) and said formula (Ib) are:
and wherein R1 is a moiety selected from the group consisting of said formula (Q) and said formula (S), and mixtures thereof.
17. The membrane of claim 16, wherein R1 is a moiety having a composition of:
a) said formula (A) in about 10-30% of said first repeating units; and
b) said formula (B) in about 70-90% of said first repeating units, and wherein said first repeating units of said formula (Ib) are about 30-50% of the total of said first repeating units.
18. A method of producing a fluid separation membrane, said method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a polyimide polymer comprising a plurality of first repeating units of a formula (I), wherein said formula (I) is:
in which R1 of said formula (I) is a moiety having a composition selected from the group consisting of a formula (A), a formula (B), a formula (C), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (A), said formula (B), and said formula (C) are:
and in which R2 of said formula (I) is a moiety having a composition selected from the group consisting of a formula (Q), a formula (S), a formula (T), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (Q), said formula (S), and said formula (T) are:
in which Z of said formula (T) is a moiety having a composition selected from the group consisting of a formula (L), a formula (M), a formula (N), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (L), said formula (M), and said formula (N) are:
b) annealing said polyimide polymer to form an annealed polymer;
c) synthesizing a concentrated solution, wherein said concentrated solution comprises a solvent and said annealed polyimide polymer; and
d) forming a membrane.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said annealed polyimide polymer comprises a second repeating unit of a formula (II), wherein said formula (II) is:
wherein R1 and R2 are moieties as defined for formula (I) above, and
wherein said annealed polyimide polymer comprises less than about 3 mole % said second repeating units.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said annealed polyimide polymer comprises less than about 1 mole % said second repeating units after said annealing step.
21. The membrane of claim 18, wherein said first repeating units comprise moieties selected from the group consisting of a formula (Ia), a formula (Ib), and mixtures thereof, wherein said formula (Ia) and said formula (Ib) are:
and wherein R1 is a moiety selected from the group consisting of said formula (Q) and said formula (S), and mixtures thereof.
22. The membrane of claim 18, wherein R1 is a moiety having a composition of:
a) said formula (A) in about 10-30% of said first repeating units; and
b) said formula (B) in about 70-90% of said first repeating units;
and wherein said first repeating units of said formula (Ib) are about 30-50% of the total of said first repeating units.
23. The method of claim 18, wherein said annealing step is conducted by a process selected from the group consisting of mechanical annealing, thermal annealing, or combinations thereof.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein said annealing step is conducted for a period of time of about 6-30 hours at a temperature of about 100-250\xb0 C.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said period of time is about 10-16 hours and said temperature is about 140-180\xb0 C.
26. The method of claim 23, wherein said annealing step is conducted under a vacuum of greater than about 15 inches of mercury.
27. The method of claim 18, wherein said concentrated solution comprises about 30 weight % said annealed polyimide polymer, wherein said solvent is NMP, and wherein said concentrated solution has a zero-shear complex viscosity of greater than about 90 Pa\xb7s at 40\xb0 C.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said concentrated solution has a zero-shear complex viscosity of greater than about 150 Pa\xb7s at 40\xb0 C.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein said concentrated solution has a zero-shear complex viscosity in a range of about 150 Pa\xb7s to about 500 Pa\xb7s at 40\xb0 C.
30. The method of claim 18, wherein said membrane is a hollow fiber membrane.
31. The method of claim 18, wherein said polyimide polymer is selected from a group consisting of P84 polymer, P84HT polymer, or mixtures thereof.
32. The method of claim 18, wherein the inherent viscosity of said annealed polyimide polymer is at least about 5% greater than the inherent viscosity of said polyimide polymer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A breast pad and nursing bib apparatus comprising:
a cup-shaped base flap; and
a nursing flap;
wherein said nursing flap is hingedly coupled to said cup-shaped base flap and wherein said nursing flap may be rotated between a first closed position and second bib position.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cup-shaped base flap and said nursing flap have a front side which faces a breast and a back side which faces a woman’s clothing, said front side comprising an absorbent material and said back side comprising a liquid impermeable material.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said back side comprises a breathable material.
4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said front side of said cup-shaped base flap comprises adhesive areas.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said front side of said nursing flap comprises adhesive areas.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising adhesive flaps hingedly coupled to said cup-shaped base flap.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein said adhesive is hypo-allergic.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cup-shaped base flap comprises a self-supporting, contoured shape.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said nursing flap is of sufficient size and shape to extend underneath a woman’s breast in a self-supporting bib position.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises an elastic fabric.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an attached wipe.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said attached wipe contains an agent selected from the group consisting of a cleaning agent, a medicinal agent and a skin benefit agent and combinations thereof.
13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is disposable.
14. A breast pad and nursing bib apparatus comprising:
a cup-shaped absorbent base flap;
a nursing flap; and
a wipe;
wherein said nursing flap is hingedly coupled to said cup-shaped absorbent base flap, wherein said nursing flap may be rotated between a first closed position and second bib position, and wherein said wipe is attached to said apparatus.