1234yf- and 1234ze BASED POLYMERIC MEMBRANE MATERIALS, MEMBRANE PREPARATIONS AND USES THEREOF

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to polymeric membrane materials formed, at least in part, from monomeric material selected from 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (CF 3 CF=CH 2 , HF0-1234y0 or trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (CF 3 CH=CFH, HFO-1234ze), and to membrane preparations and uses thereof in water desalination, filtration, membrane distillation, pervaporation, and selective gas separation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A membrane comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymer comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene as a monomer unit of the polymer and a polymer comprising trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene as a monomer unit of the polymer. 
     
     
         2 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer includes more than 50 wt % of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene as a monomer unit. 
     
     
         3 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer includes more than 30 wt % of trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene as a monomer unit. 
     
     
         4 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is asymmetric integrally skinned 
     
     
         5 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a thin film composite membrane. 
     
     
         6 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is porous. 
     
     
         7 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a flat sheet configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a hollow fiber configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a reverse osmosis membrane. 
     
     
         10 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is selected from the group consisting of microfiltration membranes, ultrafiltration membranes, and nanofiltration membranes. 
     
     
         11 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a pervaporation membrane. 
     
     
         12 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a distillation membrane. 
     
     
         13 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a selective gas separation membrane. 
     
     
         14 . A liquid separation process comprising the steps of:
 providing a liquid comprising at least a first component and a second component,   contacting a membrane in accordance with  claim 1  with said liquid to produce a permeate which passes through the membrane and a retentate which does not pass through the membrane.   wherein a ratio of said first component to said second component in said permeate is higher than a ratio of said first component to said second component in said retentate.   
     
     
         15 . A gas separation process comprising the steps of:
 providing a gas comprising at least a first component and a second component,   contacting a membrane in accordance with  claim 1  with said gas to produce a permeate which passes through the membrane and a retentate which does not pass through the membrane.   wherein a ratio of said first component to said second component in said permeate is higher than a ratio of said first component to said second component in said retentate.