A functional polymer membrane having a pore volume fraction of 0.6% or more and 3.0% or less by allowing a reaction of curing a composition containing a polymerizable compound (A) and a copolymerizable monomer (B).

A separation material includes a matrix that is bound to a saccharide, enabling the separation from a liquid of substances that selectively bind the saccharide. A method for preparing the separation material and a method for separating substances from a liquid that selectively bind a saccharide of the separation material are also described. A device employs the separation material for separating from a liquid substances that selectively bind to the saccharide of the separation material.

Provided herein are filtration membranes, method of manufacturing said membranes and use of such membranes for the removal of substances from fluids or substances.

A forward osmosis membrane for seawater desalination and a method for preparing the same. The forward osmosis membrane has a composite membrane structure including a nonwoven fabric layer; a hydrophilic polymer layer; and a polyamide layer. The hydrophilic polymer layer formed on the nonwoven fabric layer facilitates an inflow of water from the feed water to the draw solution to enhance flux and realize high water permeability in the direction of osmosis. The polyamide layer not only secures contamination resistance and chemical resistance but also minimizes the back diffusion of salts of the draw solution in the direction of reverse osmosis. Hence, the forward osmosis membrane of the present invention is greatly useful for desalination of high-concentration seawater.

Apparatus for use in, or forming part of, a separation process to be implemented in separation processor technology, the apparatus comprising synthetic bubbles or beads configured with a polymer or polymer-based material functionalized to attach to a valuable material in a mixture so as to form an enriched synthetic bubbles or beads having the valuable material attached thereto, and also configured to be separated from the mixture based at least partly on a difference in a physical property between the enriched synthetic bubbles or beads having the valuable material attached thereto and the mixture.

Apparatus for use in, or forming part of, a separation process to be implemented in separation processor technology, the apparatus comprising synthetic bubbles or beads configured with a polymer or polymer-based material functionalized to attach to a valuable material in a mixture so as to form an enriched synthetic bubbles or beads having the valuable material attached thereto, and also configured to be separated from the mixture based at least partly on a difference in a physical property between the enriched synthetic bubbles or beads having the valuable material attached thereto and the mixture.

A pervaporation membrane may be an acid-resistant polybenzidimazole (PBI) membrane. The acid-resistant PBI membrane may be a PBI membrane chemically modified by a process selected from the group consisting of sulfonation, phosphonation, cross-linking, N-substitution, and/or combinations thereof. The membrane may be thermally stabilized. A method for the dehydration of an acid material may include the steps of: contacting an acidic aqueous solution with a membrane of an acid-resistant polybenzidimazole; taking away a permeate stream rich in water; and taking away a concentrate steam rich in the acid material. The acidic aqueous solution may be acetic acid.

A spin dope composition produces a polymeric fiber useful in non-cryogenic gas separation. The composition includes polysulfone as the polymeric component, two solvents, in which the polymer is soluble, and a non-solvent, in which the polymer is insoluble. The solvents preferably include N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAC), and the non-solvent preferably includes triethylene glycol (TEG). Fibers made from the present composition have been found to exhibit superior properties of gas flux and selectivity, as compared with fibers made from spin dopes having only one solvent component.

A plugged honeycomb structure includes: a honeycomb substrate and a plugging portion, and is configured to trap particulate matter included in fluid flowing from an inflow side end face to an outflow side end face. The partition wall includes, as raw materials, particulates of a base material and a binder and having a melting point lower than that of the base material, the base material has a particle diameter in a range of 5 μm to 60 μm, a mass ratio of the binder to a total mass of the raw material of the base material and the binder is in a range of 22 mass % to 45 mass %, and the cells include round cells as a part, the round cells being defined by a circular-arc partition wall having a circular-arc shape that is at least a part of the partition wall to have a circular shape or the like.

A carbon structure comprising a mixture and a polymer. The mixture has a base carbon and a catalytic carbon. The polymer has a first binder with a median diameter of less than 10 microns and a second binder with a median diameter between 10 and 70 microns.