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.

An improved technology for inactivation of viruses, for example the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the Covid-19 pandemic, is described. The technology can include a device that includes a substrate coated in a polymer that is infused with a pathogen inactivating material. In various embodiments, at a given time, a portion of the pathogen inactivating material is exposed to the environment, and the device is configured to periodically or intermittently expose additional pathogen inactivating material to the environment. For example, the polymer can be ablative or sacrificial.

A filter is treated with a reduced amount of a halo active aromatic sulfanomide compound of Formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 are independently selected from hydrogen, COOR′, CON(R″).sub.2, alkoxy, CN, NO.sub.2, SO.sub.3R″, halogen, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, sulfonamide, halosulfonamide, and substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl; R′ is hydrogen, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, substituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl; and R″ is hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, where the two R″ groups in CON(R″).sub.2 may be independently selected; X is halogen; M is an alkali or alkaline earth metal; and n is the number of water molecules per molecule of the sulfonamide compound. The compound effectively suppresses odors pre-use, in use, and post-use for extended periods of time.

A filter is treated with a reduced amount of a halo active aromatic sulfanomide compound of Formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 are independently selected from hydrogen, COOR′, CON(R″).sub.2, alkoxy, CN, NO.sub.2, SO.sub.3R″, halogen, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, sulfonamide, halosulfonamide, and substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl; R′ is hydrogen, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, substituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl; and R″ is hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, where the two R″ groups in CON(R″).sub.2 may be independently selected; X is halogen; M is an alkali or alkaline earth metal; and n is the number of water molecules per molecule of the sulfonamide compound. The compound effectively suppresses odors pre-use, in use, and post-use for extended periods of time.

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.

The present invention relates to a filter medium comprising a substrate and a fine fiber layer on top of the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a first layer comprising first fibers having a first average diameter and a first maximum fiber length; a second layer comprising second fibers having a second average diameter and a second maximum fiber length; and a third layer comprising third fibers having a third average diameter and a third maximum fiber length; wherein the boundary area between the first and the second layer forms a first blended area comprising first and second fibers; and the boundary area between the second and the third layer forms a second blended area comprising second and third fibers; and wherein the first and the third average diameters are each larger than the second average diameter.

The present invention relates to a filter medium comprising a substrate and a fine fiber layer on top of the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a first layer comprising first fibers having a first average diameter and a first maximum fiber length; a second layer comprising second fibers having a second average diameter and a second maximum fiber length; and a third layer comprising third fibers having a third average diameter and a third maximum fiber length; wherein the boundary area between the first and the second layer forms a first blended area comprising first and second fibers; and the boundary area between the second and the third layer forms a second blended area comprising second and third fibers; and wherein the first and the third average diameters are each larger than the second average diameter.

A long-life in filters is required as filter members for slurry liquid having high-viscosity and high-solid-content ratio. It is provided to solve the problem, the filter element for filtering slurry liquid, wherein nets and non-woven fabrics are alternately layered, wherein each of the nets has first fibers parallelly extending in one direction and second fibers parallelly extending in a direction angled to the one direction and contacting sides of the first fibers, wherein the first and second fibers forms mesh-pores at portions surrounded by the first and second fibers, wherein each of the non-woven fabrics has protrusions on surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a thickness-direction, the protrusions formed to repeatedly come out on the surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a surface-direction of the each of the non-woven fabrics.

A long-life in filters is required as filter members for slurry liquid having high-viscosity and high-solid-content ratio. It is provided to solve the problem, the filter element for filtering slurry liquid, wherein nets and non-woven fabrics are alternately layered, wherein each of the nets has first fibers parallelly extending in one direction and second fibers parallelly extending in a direction angled to the one direction and contacting sides of the first fibers, wherein the first and second fibers forms mesh-pores at portions surrounded by the first and second fibers, wherein each of the non-woven fabrics has protrusions on surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a thickness-direction, the protrusions formed to repeatedly come out on the surfaces of the each of the non-woven fabrics in a surface-direction of the each of the non-woven fabrics.