US Patent 8231013 - Fluid separation membrane with nanoparticle filler

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8231013.html

Growth in industrialization has led to a increased demands on freshwater supplies and an increased interest in wastewater recycling. This patent from the Research Foundation of the State University of New York teaches a way to use nanomaterials to form a water filtration system having a high permeation rate and a reduced fouling rate compared to filtration systems currently available. Claim 1 reads:

1. An article comprising:

a fibrous support comprising nanofibers, the fibrous support having a thickness from 5 μm to about 50 μm; and

an interfacially polymerized polymer layer disposed on a surface of the fibrous support,

wherein the interfacially polymerized polymer layer further comprises at least one hydrophilic or hydrophobic nanoparticulate filler.