The present disclosure relates to a vacuum filter that incorporates a large area pleated filter element having pleated hydrophilic membrane configured along slanting surface in pyramid shape and incorporated with in a filter housing that can be accommodated in neck of a filtrate container. The disclosed configuration reduces overall height of the filtering system improving its stability and reducing space requirement. Further, top portion of the filter housing is configured to receive either a feed cup for direct feeding of feed liquid by pouring in the cup or a fitting with tube that can be used to suck the feed from a feed solution container under action of a vacuum thus allowing universal use. In another embodiment, a single hydrophobic membrane is provided to avoid problems of low flow due to bubbles coming with the feed solution and also to allow restart of filtration without air lock.

Tangential flow filtration systems utilizing flexible bags for permeate collection are provided.

Provided is a feed side spacer comprising a network structure, wherein the network structure includes a hexagonal eye, the hexagonal eye includes a pair of parallel portions parallel to a flow direction of a supply liquid, and an inclined portion disposed in a diagonal direction with respect to the flow direction of the supply liquid; the parallel portion has a length of 1 mm to 5 mm; the inclined portion has a length of 5.1 mm to 10 mm; and an angle formed by sides in contact with each other of the inclined portion is from 50° to 80°, and a separation membrane element comprising same.

Provided is a feed side spacer comprising a network structure, wherein the network structure includes a hexagonal eye, the hexagonal eye includes a pair of parallel portions parallel to a flow direction of a supply liquid, and an inclined portion disposed in a diagonal direction with respect to the flow direction of the supply liquid; the parallel portion has a length of 1 mm to 5 mm; the inclined portion has a length of 5.1 mm to 10 mm; and an angle formed by sides in contact with each other of the inclined portion is from 50° to 80°, and a separation membrane element comprising same.

Compositions made of laminate comprised of porous carbon nanotube (CNT) are disclosed. Uses of the Compositions, particularly for reducing a formation of a load of a microorganism or of a biofilm, are also disclosed.

Compositions made of laminate comprised of porous carbon nanotube (CNT) are disclosed. Uses of the Compositions, particularly for reducing a formation of a load of a microorganism or of a biofilm, are also disclosed.

A method for filtering a protein-containing liquid containing protein at a concentration of 20 mg/mL or more and 100 mg/mL or less, the method including a prefiltration step of filtering the protein-containing liquid by a prefilter having a pore size of 0.08 μm to 0.25 μm and including a hydrophobic resin, and a virus removal step of filtering the protein-containing liquid by a virus removal membrane including a synthetic polymer, after the prefiltration step, wherein the protein-containing liquid before conducting the prefiltration step includes 0.25 g or more of a trimer or higher multimer of the proteins having an average diameter of less than 100 nm, per 1 m.sup.2 of the virus removal membrane.

Header-equipped air diffusion devices includes, in the header, an air storage unit, on its lower end including inlet(s) for water to be treated, and air supply part(s) and air sending part(s) on the air storage unit upper section. The air diffusion device's air sending part and horizontal tube are connected, air sent from the header being diffused by the air diffusion device, and air sending in the air storage unit is above the air supply part's air supply port. The air storage portion's partition portion, with a 50+mm height, partitions the upper portion into an air supply and an air feeding portion side. The partition portion forms a cylindrical portion and an upper plate portion and the air storage portion's trunk portion serves as part of the air supply portion, and an opening end on a lower end side of the partition portion serves as the air supply port.

The present invention relates to a separation membrane including a thermoplastic polymer selected from a cellulose ester and a polyamide, in which, when regions obtained by dividing a cross-sectional surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the separation membrane into 5 at an equal interval are defined as regions 1 to 5, all the regions 1 to 5 have a number average pore diameter changing rate a of −0.25 to 0.25, and at least one of the regions 1 to 5 is a region P that satisfies conditions (a) and (b): (a) a value of area average pore diameter D.sub.s/number average pore diameter D.sub.n is 2.50 to 6.00; and (b) a number average W of fine pores that are located at a distance smaller than L.sub.a from a center of respective coarse pores is 10 to 30.

The present invention relates to a separation membrane including a thermoplastic polymer selected from a cellulose ester and a polyamide, in which, when regions obtained by dividing a cross-sectional surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the separation membrane into 5 at an equal interval are defined as regions 1 to 5, all the regions 1 to 5 have a number average pore diameter changing rate a of −0.25 to 0.25, and at least one of the regions 1 to 5 is a region P that satisfies conditions (a) and (b): (a) a value of area average pore diameter D.sub.s/number average pore diameter D.sub.n is 2.50 to 6.00; and (b) a number average W of fine pores that are located at a distance smaller than L.sub.a from a center of respective coarse pores is 10 to 30.