The invention is directed to preparation of hollow fiber membrane devices that exhibit improved durability and mechanical strength in air separation operations such as generation of nitrogen enriched air on board aircraft. In particular the invention provides for preparation of hollow fiber membrane modules with terminal tubesheets of superior mechanical properties and improved long term durability in air separation operations.

A laminate is provided comprising at least one polysulfone and/or polyethersulfone porous membrane heat bonded to a polyvinylidene fluoride substrate.

The present disclosure is to provide a method of mounting a membrane filter and a microfluidic device including the membrane filter, which are capable of increasing a flow pressure of a fluid. A salt matrix is attached to a region of a surface of the membrane filter that adjoins the filter support structure and is exposed toward the movement passage. A membrane filter and a microfluidic device including the membrane filter, which are capable of increasing a flow pressure of a fluid.

An electrochemical separation device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a cell stack including a plurality of sub-blocks each having alternating depleting compartments and concentrating compartments and each including frame and channel portions disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. An internal seal formed of a first material is disposed between and in contact with the channel portions between adjacent sub-blocks in the cell stack and configured to prevent leakage between depleting compartments and concentrating compartments in the adjacent sub-blocks. An external seal formed of a second material having at least one material parameter different from the first material is disposed between and in contact with the frames of the adjacent sub-blocks in the cell stack and configured to prevent leakage from an internal volume of the electrochemical separation device to outside of the electrochemical separation device.

The invention relates to a method for producing a membrane module, comprising a plurality of elongated filter elements disposed in parallel adjacent to one another, each element comprising a longitudinal channel, a housing enclosing the filter elements, and a collector chamber between the housing and the filter elements.

A membrane arrangement for the permeative separation of a gas from gas mixtures has a porous, gas-permeable, metallic support substrate, a membrane formed on the support substrate and selectively permeable for the gas to be separated off. A ceramic, gas-permeable, porous, first intermediate layer is formed between the support substrate and the membrane and directly on the support substrate. A gastight, metallic coupling part is joined by a material-to-material bond to the support substrate. The support substrate and the coupling part are separated by a dividing line. The intermediate layer extends towards the coupling part over the gas-permeable surface of the porous support substrate at least to a distance of 2 mm from the dividing line and extends over the gastight surface of the coupling part by not more than 2 mm beyond the dividing line.

A process for manufacturing a fluidic element, which consists in forming at least one fluid-permeable zone and one fluid-impermeable zone in a three-dimensional cellular material, by addition of at least one second material having a liquid initial state. The process will for example include soaking of the cellular material by the second material present in the liquid initial state, evacuating the second material present in its liquid initial state from at least one zone of the cellular material, in order to render the permeable zone.

The hollow fiber membrane module according to the present application is provided with a cylindrical container open at one end and the other end, a bundle of hollow fiber membranes packed in the cylindrical container, potting parts embedding and fixing the bundle of hollow fiber membranes at both ends of the cylindrical container, and headers provided at both ends of the cylindrical container and having nozzles that constitute an inlet and outlet for a fluid. In this hollow fiber membrane module, the headers and the cylindrical container are welded in at least two areas including a primary weld and a secondary weld, and the secondary weld is located in a position where welding is initiated after or simultaneously with the beginning of welding of the primary weld.

Provided is a compression bar apparatus for applying pressure to desired areas of a thin film composite (TFC) membrane, such as spiral wound TFC membranes and elements, including membranes and elements used for nanofiltration, reverse osmosis or forward osmosis to purify water, such as tap water, seawater, and brackish water. Application of pressure to a spiral wound element by the apparatus produces a membrane with increased sealant penetration, reduced osmotic blistering, and minimal damage to the active area of the membrane. Also provided are methods of using the apparatus.

A water treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a tank that stores water to be treated, a crossflow filtration membrane module that filters the water to be treated, a supply passage through which the water to be treated is supplied from the tank to the filtration membrane module by using a supply pump, and a recirculation passage through which the water to be treated, the water having passed through a membrane upstream side of the filtration membrane module, is recirculated to the tank. The tank has an upper space above a liquid surface of the stored water to be treated, the upper space being hermetically filled with an inert gas. The water treatment system further includes a gas transport passage through which the inert gas is introduced from the upper space into the supply passage or the filtration membrane module, and a compressor that is disposed in the gas transport passage and that pressurizes the inert gas. The compressor is preferably a water-sealed compressor.