Solvent-resistant self-crosslinked polyetherimide membranes
This technology creates a new type of high-performance plastic film made from poly(ether imide), a material already used in demanding industrial applications, but with a critical upgrade: the films are chemically crosslinked using a heat-activated azide chemistry process. The crosslinking creates dense molecular bonds throughout the material, making the finished film resistant to solvents that normally dissolve conventional versions of this plastic, including common industrial solvents like DMF, NMP, and chloroform. The process is straightforward — dissolve the modified polymer, cast it into a film, then heat it — which is compatible with existing polymer film manufacturing equipment. The resulting material retains strong thermal and mechanical performance while gaining solvent resistance, opening it up for membrane and filtration applications where conventional PEI films would simply dissolve.
What you could build
Solvent-resistant polymer membranes for industrial gas separation, organic solvent nanofiltration, or chemical processing applications; target buyers are membrane manufacturers and chemical companies running solvent-heavy separation processes.
Who in Virginia should care
Specialty chemicals and advanced materials companies in Virginia, or defense contractors requiring high-performance polymer membranes for filtration and separation systems.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Guoliang LIU, Zhen XU, Alan Roger ESKER, Gehui LIU
- Granted
- December 2, 2025
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 12486370
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.