A method of making a polyimide membrane includes mixing dianhydride and phenylenediamine monomers in a first solvent to form a mixture; heating the mixture thereby polymerizing to form a polyimide polymer in a crude mixture; precipitating and separating the polyimide polymer from the crude mixture; mixing and dissolving the polyimide polymer in a second solvent to form a polyimide solution; applying the polyimide solution onto a surface of a substrate to form a polyimide liquid layer on the substrate; immersing the substrate after the applying in at least one liquid medium selected from the group consisting of water and alcohol, thereby precipitating the polyimide polymer from the polyimide solution to form the polyimide membrane disposed on the surface of the substrate. A desalination system containing the polyimide membrane, and a desalination process.

A hydrogen heating device includes: a sealed container configured to allow a hydrogen-based gas to be led in; a heat generating element provided inside the sealed container and configured to generate heat by occluding and discharging hydrogen; and a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust a temperature of the heat generating element. The heat generating element includes a plurality of stacked bodies each including a support made of at least one of a porous body, a hydrogen permeable film, and a proton conductor, and a multilayer film supported by the support. The multilayer film has a first layer made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy and having a thickness of less than 1000 nm, and a second layer made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy different from the first layer, or ceramics and having a thickness of less than 1000 nm.

Titanium carbide (Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x) MXene nanocomposite spacers can be incorporated into membrane distillation systems. For example, a method can include selectively etching aluminum layers from layered ternary carbide powder by adding the ternary carbide powder in etchant to form a slurry. Additionally, the method can include centrifuging the slurry and washing the slurry until reaching a pH condition. Subsequent to reaching the pH condition, the method can include collecting a Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x MXene supernatant from the slurry. The method can further include vacuum drying the supernatant to produce Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x MXene powder. The method can include mixing the MXene powder with additional materials to form a nanocomposite ink with Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x MXene nanofillers. The method can further include printing a pattern with the nanocomposite ink to form a Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x MXene nanocomposite spacer.

A membrane distillation module comprising a membrane distillation cartridge and a membrane distillation housing, wherein: the cartridge comprises a anchoring part in which porous membranes are anchored by resin; the housing comprises a housing body and a housing lid; the membrane distillation module comprises a support part where the outer surface of the anchoring part is supported by the inner surface of the housing with a seal member interposed therebetween; and a value C in the cross section of the support part is at least 30 C. as represented by the formula, where d.sub.F is the equivalent circular diameter (mm) of the outer circumference of the anchoring part, k.sub.F is the linear expansion coefficient (1/ C.) of the resin, d.sub.E is the equivalent diameter (mm) of the inner circumference of the housing, and k.sub.E is the linear expansion coefficient (1/ C.) of a portion where the housing contacts the seal member.

A membrane distillation assembly for providing purified water, and to a membrane distiller including an evaporation chamber, a condensation chamber, and a membrane separating the evaporation chamber and the condensation chamber from each other. The membrane has a pore size equal to or less than 1000 nanometres. The membrane distiller wherein the membrane is a multi-layer polymer membrane including a nonwoven first layer having a pore size equal to or less than 1000 nanometres and a spunbonded second layer that is laminated to the first layer. The second layer is facing the condensation chamber.

An atmospheric water vapor extraction device is contained within reservoir that includes an evaporation chamber, a condensation chamber, a water latent hygroscopic solution within a conduit, a solution container, and a water depleted hygroscopic solution within a conduit. The conduits extend into container to a level below the hygroscopic solution level within the container to prevent passage of air into the conduits. The water extraction device further includes a water collection conduit and water container. The water collection conduit connects the condensation chamber to a water container. The conduit extends into container to a level below the level of water within the container to prevent the passage of air into the conduit and thereby maintain a level of vacuum within chamber that is representative of the weight of the water column within conduit and the vapor pressure of the water at the top.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a membrane distillation module with excellent stability of water treatment ability over time as a result of wetting being controlled; and a membrane distillation apparatus comprising the same. Provided is a membrane distillation module that comprises a housing and multiple porous hollow fiber membranes, both ends of which are bonded and fixed to the housing, wherein: the water contact angle of the outer surfaces of the porous hollow fiber membranes is at least 90; and a hydrophobic polymer adheres to at least some of the areas of the porous hollow fiber membranes that are not bonded and fixed.

A method 30 and an apparatus 31 for mineral extraction. The method 30 comprising providing a solution comprising 40 a plurality of solutes and selectively extracting a mineral from the solution 60 by adsorption to provide a mineral-rich solution. The method further comprises distilling the mineral-rich solution by membrane distillation 80 to increase the concentration of the mineral in the mineral-rich solution and subsequently removing the mineral from the mineral-rich solution 90.

A desalination system includes a watertight tank built into a barge to house reverse-osmosis tubes and flooded with cooling water or fluid a closed-loop water or a fluid circulation system that circulates water or fluid inside the watertight tank to cool the reverse-osmosis tubes and transfer the heat to a seawater radiator mounted on the exterior of the barge to cool the cooling water or fluid; a reverse-osmosis system consisting of a seawater feed pump sucking in seawater through wedge wire screens attached to an inlet or inlets in the hull of the barge, and pumping that water into a plurality of reverse-osmosis tubes housed within the watertight tank and configured to process the seawater passing through the reverse-osmosis membrane to freshwater water stream and a brine water stream; and a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline.

A multi-stage direct contact membrane distillation (MS-DCMD) system and a process for using the MS-DCMD are provide. The MS-DCMD includes a plurality of modules, wherein each module includes a feed chamber fluidically coupled to a feed line and a carrier gas line, wherein the feed line introduces a liquid feed into the feed chamber from a liquid feed tank, and wherein the carrier gas line introduces a carrier gas into the feed chamber. Each module includes a cold chamber fluidically coupled to a cold-water feed line and a cold-water return line, wherein cold water is circulated through the cold chamber. Each module further includes a membrane separating the feed chamber from the cold chamber, wherein the membrane allows transportation of vapor from the feed chamber to the cold chamber while blocking liquid from moving from the feed chamber to the cold chamber.