An apparatus for fabricating a graphene membrane includes a first section having a first fluid chamber for housing a suspension of graphene platelets in a fluid. A second section is positionable adjacent the first section. The second section has a second fluid chamber and a porous support housed in the second fluid chamber for supporting a porous substrate. When the first section is positioned adjacent to the second section and the porous substrate is supported by the porous support, the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber are in fluid communication via the porous substrate. The apparatus further includes a pressurizer for creating a pressure differential between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber and thereby forcing the fluid through the porous substrate and into the second fluid chamber and lodging the graphene platelets in the pores of the porous substrate.

The present invention relates to synthetic membranes and use of these synthetic membranes for isolation of volatile organic compounds and purification of water. The synthetic membrane includes a hydrophobic polymer layer located on a polymeric membrane support layer. The invention includes a method of isolating volatile organic compounds with the synthetic membrane by contacting a volatile organic mixture with the hydrophobic polymer layer of the synthetic membrane and removing volatile organic compounds from the polymeric membrane support layer of the synthetic membrane by a process of pervaporation. The invention also includes a method of purifying water with the synthetic membrane by contacting an ionic solution with the hydrophobic polymer layer of the synthetic membrane and removing water from the polymeric membrane support layer of the synthetic membrane by a process of reverse osmosis. The invention also relates to methods of isolating non-polar gases by gas fractionation.

A process for preparing an ion-exchange membrane having a textured surface profile comprising the steps (i) and (ii): (i) applying a radiation-curable composition to a membrane in a patternwise manner; and (ii) irradiating and thereby curing the radiation-curable composition present on the membrane; wherein the radiation-curable composition comprises: a) 10 to 65 wt % of curable ionic compound(s) comprising one ethylenically unsaturated group; b) 3 to 60 wt % of crosslinking agent(s) comprising at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups and having a number average molecular weight below 800; c) 0 to 70 wt % of inert solvent(s); d) 0 to 10 wt % of free-radical initiator(s); and e) 0.5 to 25 wt % of thickening agent(s).

Micro- and nanofilters with precision pore sizes and pore layout have applications in many fields including capturing circulating tumor cells and fetal cells in blood, water treatment, pathogen detection in water, etc. Methods to fabricate micro- and nanofilters not using track etching or reactive ion etching are provided, allowing easy fabrication of single layer or stack of films simultaneously, and/or stack of films on rolls. Microfilter can be made using one or more layers of material. Invention enables mass production of microfilters with lithographic quality at low cost. Isolation, enumeration and characterization of circulating tumor cells using microfilters provides (i) guides to cancer treatment selection and personalize dosage, (ii) low cost monitoring for treatment response, disease progression and recurrence, (iii) assessment of pharmacodynamic effects, (iv) information on mechanisms of resistance to therapy, and (v) cancer staging. Microfabrication methods are also applicable to fabrication of any free standing patterned polymeric films.

The present invention relates to a layered semipermeable membrane satisfying the conditions below. (A) The maximum peak intensity between 3700 and 2900 cm.sup.?1 is 0.08 or greater in the difference spectrum between an IR spectrum measured at 25? C. and 97% relative humidity and an IR spectrum measured at 25? C. and 3% relative humidity. (B) The peak top wavenumber between 3700 and 2900 cm.sup.?1 of the aforementioned difference spectrum is 3400 cm.sup.?1 to 3550 cm.sup.?1. (C) The N1s peak has a maximum value at 401 eV or greater in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in which X-rays are radiated to a coat layer.

A method of powder bed-based additive manufacturing of an intricate structure is specified, wherein the structure has a predetermined porosity, wherein a multitude of parallel irradiation vectors is chosen for selective irradiation of a powder layer for the production of the structure, wherein melt pathways generated by the parallel irradiation vectors are free of overlaps and wherein the parallel irradiation vectors also run parallel to the structure to be formed thereby. Additionally specified are a computer program product and a corresponding porous functional structure.

A gas separation membrane comprising the following layers: (i) a support layer; (ii) a buffer layer; (iii) a discriminating layer; (iv) optionally a fluorinated polymer layer; and (v) optionally a protective layer; wherein: (a) the buffer layer (ii) and the discriminating layer (iii) each independently comprise groups of Formula (1): M(O).sub.x Formula (1) wherein: each M independently is a metal or metalloid atom; O is an oxygen atom; and each x independently has a value of at least 4; (b) the buffer layer (ii) comprises a surface comprising 4 to 10 atomic % of M of Formula (1) groups, wherein M is as hereinbefore defined; (c) the discriminating layer (iii) comprises a surface comprising more than 10 atomic % of M of Formula (1) groups, wherein M is as hereinbefore defined; and (d) layer (ii) is located between layers (i) and (iii).

The present invention relates to a tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, said separator element comprising a monolithic rigid porous support (2) of rectilinear structure with a plurality of channels (3) formed therein for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment between an inlet (6) and an outlet (7) for the retentate, in order to recover a filtrate from the outside surface (5) of the support. According to the invention, the monolithic rigid porous support (2) defines obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for treatment, which obstacles extend from the inside walls (31) of said channels, are identical in material and porous texture to the support, and present continuity of material and of porous texture with the support, the obstacles (9) generating variations in the flow sections of the channels.

The present invention relates to a preparation process for a thin film composite (TFC) membrane (hereinafter TFC membrane), and provides a method for the preparation of a membrane through a one-step process using a dual (double layer)-slot coating technique. In the dual (double layer)-slot coating process according to the present invention, a TFC membrane can be prepared by: forming a double-solution layer through a one-step process of performing simultaneous applying/contact of two immiscible solutions, in which two kinds of reactive organic monomers are dissolved, on a porous support; and synthesizing a selective layer through a crosslinking reaction between the organic monomers at an interface of the double layer.

A filament production device, in particular a filament reaction-spinning production device, comprising at least one spinning nozzle unit, which is provided for producing at least one filament formed as a hollow fibre membrane from at least one polymer solution, and comprising a polymerisation unit, which is provided for initiating a polymerisation of the polymer solution, wherein the polymerisation unit is provided for initiating the polymerisation at least partially within the spinning nozzle unit.