Methods of producing a deformed porous hollow fiber membrane by thermally induced phase separation, particularly by discharging a fusion kneaded product containing a thermoplastic resin and an organic liquid through an orifice of a hollow fiber-forming deformed nozzle; cooling and solidifying the fusion kneaded product discharged through the deformed nozzle to form the product into a hollow fiber-like material having a deformed cross section at a cross section vertical to a discharging direction; and extracting away the organic liquid from the hollow fiber-like material to obtain the deformed porous hollow fiber membrane, wherein an inorganic fine powder is kneaded in the fusion kneaded product.

Membranes suitable for use in membrane distillation are provided. Such membranes may include nano-fibrous layers with adjustable pore sizes. The membranes may include a hydrophobic nano fibrous scaffold and a thin hydrophilic protecting layer that can significantly reduce fouling and scaling problems.

A thin film composite membrane (TFC) includes an active layer on a support. The active layer includes at least 8 barrier layers of star-polymers each having at least three linear polymers attached at a central core. Each of the barrier layers has a thickness between 5 and 50 nm, and the barrier layers have alternating charge.

Provided is a method for preparing a gas separation membrane, the method including forming a porous layer by coating a hydrophilic polymer solution on a porous substrate; and forming an active layer by coating a composition for forming an active layer including a polymer of Chemical Formula 1 on the porous layer, ##STR00001## wherein in Chemical Formula 1, n is the number of a repeating unit, and is an integer of 500 to 3,000, and R1 to R5 are the same as or different from each other, and each independently is hydrogen, an alkyl group, or —(C═O)R6, and R6 is an alkyl group, wherein the polymer of Chemical Formula 1 is included in an amount from 1% by weight to 5% by weight based on the composition for forming an active layer, and a gas separation membrane prepared using the same.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

A polysulfone membrane is modified so that monomers are wafted onto the surface of the membrane. The polysulfone membranes can be grafted by contacting the membrane with a grafting solution and exposing the membrane to electromagnetic radiation, typically within the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. The monomers that are grafted are typically anionic or cationic. The grafted membranes can be used for filtering impurities, such as positively and negatively charged particles, from a liquid. Anionic membranes provide improved filtration of negatively charged impurities, while cationic membranes provide improved filtration of positively charged impurities.

A membrane for the purification of blood, or a dialysis membrane, in hollow-fiber membrane or flat membrane geometry, made of a composite assembled from at least a base membrane based on at least one polysulfone or a polyphenylsulfone with at least one pore-forming hydrophilic additive and at least one functional layer arranged on the base membrane, whereby the functional layer is formed from at least one polymeric polycationic bonding agent and at least one polymeric polyanion, whereby the base membrane is made of a material which is selected from: a polysulfone [PSU], a sulfonated polysulfone [SPSU], a polyethersulfone [PES], a sulfonated polyethersulfone [SPES], a polyphenylsulfone [PPSU], a sulfonated polyphenylsulfone [SPPSU]; and mixtures of these.

Components, systems, and methods for producing highly hydrophilitic, functionalized inorganic filtration membranes, pre-treating organic and biological-containing waste waters for minimal membrane fouling and scaling when processed using such functionalized membranes, and use of such functionalized membranes of the present invention in filtration systems for separating such pre-treated waste waters, all with respect to optimal permeate production rates, purity of permeate and resistance to fouling and scale formation on the membranes.

Disclosed are copolymers which are useful in hydrophilically modifying porous fluoropolymer supports. An example of the copolymers is: ##STR00001##
Also disclosed are a method of preparing such copolymers, a method of modifying porous fluoropolymer surfaces, and hydrophilic fluoropolymer porous membranes prepared therefrom. Also disclosed is a method of filtering fluids by the use of the hydrophilic fluoropolymer porous membranes.

Disclosed is a block copolymer of the formula: A-B-A (I) or A-B (II), wherein block A is: (i) a polymer of allyl glycidyl ether or (ii) a polymer of allyl glycidyl ether wherein one more of the allyl groups have been replaced with 1,2-dihydroxypropyl group or a group of the formula: —(CH.sub.2).sub.a—S—(CH.sub.2).sub.b—X, wherein a, b, and X are defined herein. The block copolymers find use as wetting agents in the preparation of porous membranes from aromatic hydrophobic polymers such as polyethersulfone. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such block copolymers and porous membranes therefrom.