The invention relates to a filter element comprising one or more fluid-pervious layers of a fluid-pervious sheet material having first and second surfaces in a substantially parallel arrangement, a fluid-impervious layer arranged in fluid tight contact with at least one of said first and second surfaces of said layer(s) of fluid-pervious sheet material to substantially fully cover the first and/or second surfaces thereof, one or more first and second edge portions, said first and second edge portions being arranged at a predefined distance and separated from one another by a predefined area of the fluid-pervious sheet material, a fluid flow path limited to and extending essentially parallel to the first and second surfaces from the first edge portion(s) to the second edge portion(s) within each of said layers of fluid-pervious sheet material, said first and second edge portions providing a fluid intake and a fluid drainage at the upstream and downstream ends of said fluid flow path, respectively. The invention further relates to filter modules comprising one or more of said filter elements.

The present disclosure provides a polymeric plasticized film or sheet having one or more apertures to reduce the amount of material needed, as well as overall weight, per desired volume of material required. The polymeric plasticized film or sheet may also be capable of folding and keeping the crease for a desired amount of time. The polymeric plasticized film or sheet may be biodegradable.

A fibrous media suitable for an oil filter comprising a fibrous web formed from synthetic fibers; optionally at least one additive, and a thermoset binder present at a concentration of at least 15 wt.-% by weight of the fibrous web and/or at least one binder fiber, wherein the synthetic fibers comprise up to 30 wt.-%, preferably up to 20 wt.-%, glass fibers, based on the total weight of the fibers. The fibers are bonded with the thermoset binder and/or the at least one binder fiber to form a web; and the fibrous media is capable of forming a self-supporting, pleated oil filter media which is capable of retaining pleats upon contact with oil having a temperature in the range encountered in a combustion engine.

A method of converting a liquid hydrocarbon stream to lower boiling point hydrocarbons may include converting the liquid hydrocarbon stream to an aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream, and subjecting the aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream to reaction conditions. Reaction conditions may include a temperature from 25° C. to 1,000° C. and a pressure from 1 bar to 15 bar. The method may further include forming the lower boiling point hydrocarbons in the aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream and separating the lower boiling point hydrocarbons from the aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream. The lower boiling point hydrocarbons may comprise at least C.sub.2—C.sub.4 olefins.

A method for filtering magnetic particles includes spinning a filter including a plurality of pores within a substrate. The method further includes applying, subsequent to spinning the filter, an external magnetic field to the filter. The method includes disposing a solution including a first particle and a second particle onto the filter. The first particle includes a magnetic particle of interest. The method further includes separating the first particle from the second particle by capturing the first particle within a pore of the plurality of pores within the substrate.

Disclosed is a filter media for removing contaminants such as organic acids from water. The filter media comprises porous particles. The particles have a total pore volume greater than about 0.4 cc/g. The pore volume is primarily or substantially comprised of epipores, that is, pores that are larger than about 5 nm. The filter media may also include a non-porous filter material and a binder. The filter media may be formed into a filter element, with the binder joining particles of the filter media together into a solid body. The percentage of the total pore volume provided by epipores is greater than about 40%. The filter reduces an initial concentration of an organic acid by greater than 80% at a flux greater than 0.76 ml/min/cm.sup.2.

A method of converting a liquid hydrocarbon stream to lower boiling point hydrocarbons may include converting the liquid hydrocarbon stream to an aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream, and subjecting the aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream to reaction conditions. Reaction conditions may include a temperature from 25 C. to 1,000 C. and a pressure from 1 bar to 15 bar. The method may further include forming the lower boiling point hydrocarbons in the aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream and separating the lower boiling point hydrocarbons from the aerosolized hydrocarbon particle stream. The lower boiling point hydrocarbons may comprise at least C.sub.2-C.sub.4 olefins.

Provided is a biological fluid-treating filter for treating a biological fluid containing erythrocytes, which has a matrix and a polymer retained by the matrix, the polymer having a zwitterion-containing functional group and a basic nitrogen-containing functional group. By using the filter in which the polymer has the zwitterion-containing functional group and the basic nitrogen-containing functional group, it is possible to treat the biological fluid containing erythrocytes without adversely affecting the erythrocytes.

A fibrous media suitable for an oil filter comprising a fibrous web formed from synthetic fibers; optionally at least one additive, and a thermoset binder present at a concentration of at least 15 wt.-% by weight of the fibrous web and/or at least one binder fiber, wherein the synthetic fibers comprise up to 30 wt.-%, preferably up to 20 wt.-%, glass fibers, based on the total weight of the fibers. The fibers are bonded with the thermoset binder and/or the at least one binder fiber to form a web; and the fibrous media is capable of forming a self-supporting, pleated oil filter media which is capable of retaining pleats upon contact with oil having a temperature in the range encountered in a combustion engine.

Disclosed are methods of partially or fully fibrillating bicomponent filaments of the island-in-the-sea configuration by hydroentangling. The hydroentangling energy can both fibrillate the sea component as well as entangling the sea and island components for bonding. Fabrics that are made from these at least partially fibrillated and bonded fibers are also disclosed. These fabrics have low pressure drop and high efficiency and can be used for filters and masks.