Disclosed are a ceramic membrane for water treatment using oxidation-treated SiC and a method for manufacturing the same. An object of the present invention is to manufacture a ceramic membrane for water treatment, which can be sintered at a low temperature of 1,050? C. or less, in which a SiO.sub.2 oxide layer formed during an oxidation process induces volume expansion so as to prevent defects due to the contraction of a coating layer during general sintering. The ceramic membrane for water treatment using the oxidation treated SiC includes a porous ceramic support layer; and a SiC layer formed on the porous ceramic support layer and including SiC particles on which a SiO.sub.2 oxide layer formed on a surface thereof.

An article with a body having spaced channels created at a surface of the body and extending into the body, wherein the channels are located at controlled spaced locations. The channeled or microchanneled articles may be in the form of channeled or microchanneled membranes or otherwise. Methods of manufacturing channeled articles and uses of the channeled articles are described.

A separator element for obtaining molecular and/or particulate separation by tangential flow of a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, the element comprising a structure (2) of at least two porous rigid columns (3) made of the same material, positioned side by side to define outside their outside walls a volume (4) for recovering the filtrate, each column (3) presenting internally at least one open structure (5) for passing a flow of the fluid medium, opening out in one of the ends of the porous column for inlet of the fluid medium for treatment and in the other end for outlet of the retentate. The element is a single-piece rigid structure (2) made as a single piece that is uniform and continuous throughout, without any bonds or exogenous additions.

A separator element comprising a porous rigid single-piece substrate (2) made of a single porous material, and including internally at least one channel (3) for passing a flow of the fluid medium, which channel opens out in one end of the porous substrate for inlet of the fluid medium for treatment and in another end of the porous substrate for outlet of the retentate.

At least one empty space (10) is arranged in the porous substrate so as to be surrounded by a portion of the material constituting the single-piece substrate (2) either completely so as to form a closed cavity or partially so as to form a cavity (10.sub.1) that opens out locally through the peripheral envelope (2.sub.2) of the substrate via a passage (10.sub.2) of section smaller than the section of the cavity (10.sub.1).

A separator element comprising a porous rigid single-piece substrate (2) presenting firstly, at its periphery, a perimeter wall (2.sub.1) that is continuous between an inlet (4) for the fluid medium for treatment at one end of the porous substrate and an outlet (5) for the retentate at the other end of the porous substrate, and secondly, internally, a surface covered by a separator layer (6) and defining an open structure made up of empty spaces (3) for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment. The empty spaces (3) are arranged in the porous substrate so as to create within the porous substrate a first flow network (R1) for the fluid medium for treatment, having at least two interconnected flow circuits (R1.sub.1, R1.sub.2) for the fluid medium between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) of the porous substrate.

Provided are separators for use in an electrochemical cell comprising (a) an inorganic oxide and (b) an organic polymer, wherein the inorganic oxide comprises organic subsituents. Also provided are electrochemical cells comprising such separators.

A preparation method of a ceramic membrane support is disclosed. Take aluminium hydroxide, produced through a carbon decomposing process by a sintering method, as a raw material, pre-sinter the aluminium hydroxide, and obtain a low-temperature alumina product A; add a first amount of mineralizer into the product A, grind after calcining the added product A, and obtain a -alumina product B; mix the product B with Al.sub.2O.sub.3.nH.sub.2O, calcine after adding a second amount of mineralizer into the mixed product B, and obtain a -alumina product C; grind, scatter and grade the calcined and heat-preserved -alumina product C, and obtain polyhedral alumina powders; mix the polyhedral alumina powders, water, humectant and dispersant and then sinter, and finally obtain the porous alumina support. The prepared support is easy to be sintered, is high in alumina purity, is good in corrosion resistance, and is improved in porosity and flux.

A method for preparing a support of a molecular sieve membrane is provided and relates to a technical field of support preparation, including steps of: according to a molar ratio of magnesium, aluminum and silicon in cordierite, preparing a nanometer composite sol of magnesium, aluminum, silicon and lanthanum serving as a sintering aid through a sol-gel method, enveloping and bonding the sol on a surface of dispersed nano-sized cordierite powders, and transforming the sol into nanometer composite oxides through presintering; mixing the cordierite powders, a binder and water, forming mud, extruding the mud, forming the mud into a green body, and sintering the green body into a cordierite support; coating a layer of film on the cordierite support with an aqueous dispersant of zirconia, then sintering, and obtaining a support of a molecular sieve membrane, composited by a cordierite main support layer and a zirconia film layer.

Provided are separators for use in an electrochemical cell comprising (a) an inorganic oxide and (b) an organic polymer, wherein the inorganic oxide comprises organic substituents. Also provided are electrochemical cells comprising such separators.

A high-flux silicon carbide ceramic filter membrane and a preparation method thereof are provided. In the preparation method, a separation layer is directly coated at a time on the basis of a support, that is, after the support is sintered, the separation layer is directly coated and then sintered for carbon removal. In the present disclosure, a sintering process and a coating formula are optimized to prevent fine silicon carbide particles from entering micropores of a support due to capillary filtration and film formation during coating, such that a separation layer with an average pore size of 0.2 m or less can be directly coated on a silicon carbide support with an average pore size of 10 m or more, and fine silicon carbide particles can be effectively prevented from entering micropores of the support during the coating.