A method for removing microorganisms from liquid samples and a nanofiber containing liquid filtration medium that simultaneously exhibits high liquid permeability and high microorganism retention. Microorganisms such as bacteria, particularly B. Diminuta, are removed from a liquid by passing the liquid through a porous nanofiber containing filtration medium having a B. Diminuta LRV greater than about 9, and the nanofiber(s) has a diameter from about 10 nm to about 1,000 nm. Another method for removing microorganisms such as bacteria and Mycloplasma, includes passing the liquid through a porous nanofiber containing filtration medium having a microorganism LRV greater than about 8, and the nanofiber(s) has a diameter from about 10 nm to about 1,000 nm. The filtration medium can be in the form of a fibrous electro spun polymeric nanofiber liquid filtration medium mat.

The system for nano-coating a substrate (10) includes a housing (12) having an upper, dispensing chamber (18) in which electrospraying or electrospinning can occur, a lower storage chamber, and a wall (16) that separates the dispensing chamber (18) from the storage chamber. The dispensing chamber (18) includes first and second panels (24a), (24b) and a moveable collector (20) between the first and second panels (24a), (24b). Solution dispensing nozzles (26) are disposed in apertures (45) in the panels (24a), (24b), and extend from a front surface of each panel (24a), (24b). A plurality of solution supply tubes (54) extend from a rear surface of each panel (24a), (24b) to a pump (34) in the lower housing. Inner panel channels (52) are defined within each panel (24a), (24b) between the tubes (54) and the nozzles (26).

The present disclosure relates to a fluid modification system having a container structure and a plurality of independent, ceramic elements. The ceramic elements may be arranged in random orientations and contained in the container structure, thus causing a fluid flow entering the container structure at any given cross-section location to flow over the surfaces of a first subplurality of the ceramic elements, and through the porous walls of a second subplurality of the ceramic elements, before exiting at a second location of the container structure. Each one of the ceramic elements has at least one of a nanofibrous or nanoporous microstructure to enable internal flow both through a wall structure thereof, and over and around the wall structure to affect performance.

The present disclosure relates to a modular fluid modification system having an outer container configured to permit a fluid flow there into at a first location, and to allow the fluid flow to exit the container at a second location spaced apart from the first location. A plurality of fluid contacting elements is housed in the outer container. The fluid contacting elements each form an independent filtering or reactor element. Each fluid contacting element includes a plurality of openings formed in a grid or lattice-like pattern.

A polymer fiber formed of statistical copolymers, each of which contains zwitterionic repeat units and hydrophobic repeat units, the zwitterionic repeat units constituting 20-75 wt % of the statistical copolymer and the hydrophobic repeat units being characterized in that a homopolymer formed thereof has a glass transition temperature above room temperature. Also disclosed is a fibrous membrane containing such polymer fibers in which greater than 90% of the polymer fibers are each independently rib bon-shaped fibers or wrinkly fibers. A method of preparing such a fibrous membrane is disclosed as well.

A filter medium including: a porous first support; nanofiber webs respectively stacked at the upper and lower parts of the first support, and made of a plurality of nanofibers of which the diameters have a standard deviation of 300 nm or less; and a porous second support interposed between the first support and the nanofiber web. The filter medium is implemented by fibers having uniform diameters, and thus is easily manufactured to have a predetermined pore diameter and simultaneously has excellent uniformity of the pore diameters, thereby having excellent filtering efficiency and being more suitable when selectively separating specific objects. Backwashing is enabled at uniform pressure during backwashing such that high cleaning power is obtained. The filter medium has excellent water permeability and excellent mechanical strength so as to minimize the shape and structural deformation and damage of the filter medium.

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 hybrid membrane, particularly of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/graphene oxide (GO)/SiO.sub.2, separates oil and water even from emulsions. The membrane can be made by one-step electrospinning, adding GO and SiO.sub.2 nanofillers in PAN in various concentrations. The nanofillers may be uniformly embedded in the nanofibrous structure of the electrospun hybrid membrane, with GO mainly embedded inside the PAN nanofibers and may cause knots, and/or SiO.sub.2 nanoparticles embedded on the nanofiber surface and may form micro-nano fiber surface protrusions. Hierarchical structures formed can have enhanced hydrophilicity due to oxygen-containing groups on both SiO.sub.2 and GO, and have >99% oil rejection from oil-water emulsions. Separation flux and phase rejection of gravity separation may be enhanced by incorporation of nanofillers, which may also enhance membrane mechanical properties. Separated water flux may be enhanced from 2600 (pure PAN) to 3151 Lm.sup.2h.sup.1 for the hybrid.

Described herein are mixed matrix filtration membranes and related, compositions, methods and systems and in particular mixed matrix filtration membranes with an embedded polymer network and/or embedded polymeric micro/nanoparticles functionalized with a functionalization polymer covalently and/or non covalently linked to the micro/nanoparticles and related compositions, methods, and systems.

Provided are filter media for liquid filters and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a thin filter layer is formed and the content of nanofibers weighs light, by laminating a low weight nanofiber web on a porous nonwoven fabric, and thus a less differential pressure is applied before and after filtering, to thereby increase a pass flow rate. The filter medium includes: a porous support that plays a strength support role; and a nanofiber web that is laminated on one side of the porous support and is made of nanofibers of a polymer material, in which the nanofiber web comprises fine pores of a three-dimensional structure, through which a liquid to be treated passes, wherein content of the nanofibers is less than 5 gsm.