A separation apparatus 10 includes a pretreatment section 20 that subjects a target fluid containing an olefin compound to at least one or more of a treatment for reducing an acetylene-based compound, a treatment for reducing a sulfur compound, and a treatment for reducing a fine particle component. In the pretreatment section 20, one or more treatments selected from a hydrotreating and an adsorption treatment with an adsorbent may be performed as the treatment for reducing the acetylene-based compound, one or more treatments selected from a washing and absorption treatment, an adsorption treatment with an adsorbent, and a hydrodesulfurization treatment may be performed as the treatment for reducing the sulfur compound, and one or more treatments selected from a liquid absorption treatment, a collection treatment, or a filtration treatment with a filter may be performed as the treatment for reducing the fine particle component.

The present disclosure provides methods for forming asymmetric membranes. More specifically, methods are provided for applying a polymerizable species to a porous substrate for forming a coated porous substrate. The coated porous substrate is exposed to an ultraviolet radiation source having a peak emission wavelength less than 340 nm to polymerize the polymerizable species forming a polymerized material retained within the porous substrate so that the concentration of polymerized material is greater at the first major surface than at the second major surface.

Disclosed is a self-healing polysilsesquioxane and a hybrid film using the same. Once crosslinked, the polysilsesquioxane copolymer can self-heal within several minutes at 100-120 C. The self-healing polysilsesquioxane copolymer can be prepared into a hybrid material in the form of a film. Because the hybrid film has an excellent ability of self-healing the damage caused by external impact, it is applicable to wide applications such as gas separation membranes, etc., without limitation.

Presented herein are membranes for use in separating solids including salts from water. One application of such membranes is in a sub-surface irrigation system that that utilizes a saline or tainted water as a feed source. In various embodiments, the membranes operate on a solution diffusion principle. In other embodiments the membranes operate on an ultrafiltration principle and/or a solution diffusion principle. In any embodiment, the membranes operate similar to pervaporation membranes suitable for non-pressure driven systems. The membranes are designed to provide increased flux rate while separating solids such as salts from water.

Presented herein are membranes for use in separating solids including salts from water. One application of such membranes is in a sub-surface irrigation system that that utilizes a saline or tainted water as a feed source. In various embodiments, the membranes operate on a solution diffusion principle. In other embodiments the membranes operate on an ultrafiltration principle and/or a solution diffusion principle. In any embodiment, the membranes operate similar to pervaporation membranes suitable for non-pressure driven systems. The membranes are designed to provide increased flux rate while separating solids such as salts from water.

Membranes are described that may include aligned carbon nanotubes coated with an inorganic support layer and a polymeric matrix. Methods of membrane fabrication are described that may include coating an aligned carbon nanotube array with an inorganic support layer followed by infiltration with a polymeric solvent or solution. The support carbon nanotube membrane may have improved performance for separations such as desalination, drug delivery, or pharmaceuticals.

A membrane for water collection may include a sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of conical structures disposed on the top surface of the sheet, the conical structures comprising a hydrogel material. Each conical structure of the plurality of conical structures may have a height of 1 mm to 50 mm, wherein height is measured from the top surface of the sheet to an apex of a conical structure. Each conical structure of the plurality of conical structures may have an apex angle of 10 to 60 degrees.

Present invention relates to a thin film composite membrane wherein a thin selective layer, having incorporated amphiphilic vesicles, is supported by a microporous substrate. A process of preparing the thin film composite membrane and its use are also disclosed.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that involve inserting connector protein channels of bacteriophage DNA packaging motors into copolymeric membranes via liposome-polymer fusion, which can be used as nanopore sensors for biomedical applications such as high throughput protein sequencing or cancer diagnosis. For example, disclosed are compositions comprising a copolymeric membrane into which a connector protein channel of a bacteriophage packaging motor has been inserted.

A support nanofunctionalised with photocatalytic nanoparticles made of polymeric material, preferably transparent or translucid, characterised by a nanoroughness, measured by means of an electron microscope, comprised between 10 and 150 nm and a macroroughness, measured by means of an electron microscope, comprised between 100 and 600 ?m, wherein said nano and macro-roughness are diffused internally and/or superficially. A process for preparing the nanofunctionalised support is also described. Further, an use of the nanofunctionalised support as a photocatalyst activated by UV and/or visible light, for the decontamination of a fluid, preferably air and/or water, from organic contaminants, bacteria, moulds, odours and a combination thereof is described. Finally, a filtration device comprising at least one nanofunctionalised support of the invention associated with at least one source of UV and/or visible light configured to irradiate said at least one nanofunctionalised support is described.