A nanoporous membrane fabrication method is formed using an array of sacrificial nanopillars of removable materials are printed onto a substrate. After serial deposition of overlayers of even dissimilar nature, the sacrificial nanostructures are dissolved, leaving nanoporous membrane with nanopores, channels and cavities of nanoscale dimension and geometry designed, enabling untapped and unique functions in different technological areas such as biological artificial organs, nanoelectronics, bioelectronics, molecular sensors, and biomedical applications.

A fiber bed assembly and mist eliminator system operable to collect a liquid phase from a gas stream has a fiber bed with first and second collection layers of dense collection media having randomly positioned fibers. An intermediate drainage layer disposed between and abutting the first and second collection layers has drainage media composed of a highly ordered geometric mesh structure having a high void fraction. The drainage layer forms a lateral drainage channel immediately downstream of the first collection layer and generally perpendicular to the gas flow direction, and the drainage layer is operable to drain the liquid phase collected by the first collection layer, in a lateral flow direction through the drainage layer.

A fiber bed assembly and mist eliminator system operable to collect a liquid phase from a gas stream has a fiber bed with first and second collection layers of dense collection media having randomly positioned fibers. An intermediate drainage layer disposed between and abutting the first and second collection layers has drainage media composed of a highly ordered geometric mesh structure having a high void fraction. The drainage layer forms a lateral drainage channel immediately downstream of the first collection layer and generally perpendicular to the gas flow direction, and the drainage layer is operable to drain the liquid phase collected by the first collection layer, in a lateral flow direction through the drainage layer.

Provided are methods of extracting lithium from a lithium containing solution, as well as the resulting compositions. The method includes supplying a lithium containing solution to a lithium capture step, the lithium capture step being operable to capture lithium from the lithium salt containing solution. The method further includes recovering lithium from the lithium capture step to produce a lithium rich stream. In especially preferred methods, the lithium capture step is performed to increase the lithium to sodium ratio above at least 1:1. Optionally, the lithium rich stream can be purified to remove divalent ions and borate ions. The lithium rich stream is then concentrated by supplying the lithium rich stream to a reverse osmosis step to produce a concentrated lithium rich stream.