Described herein are nanofibers and methods for making nanofibers that include any one or more of (a) a non-homogeneous charge density; (b) a plurality of regions of high charge density; and/or (c) charged nanoparticles or chargeable nanoparticles. In one aspect, the present invention fulfills a need for filtration media that are capable of both high performance (e.g., removal of particle sizes between 0.1 and 0.5 μm) with a low pressure drop, however the invention is not limited in this regard.

A method for controlling fiber cross-alignment in a nanofiber membrane, comprising: providing a multiple segment collector in an electrospinning device including a first and second segment electrically isolated from an intermediate segment positioned between the first and second segment, collectively presenting a cylindrical structure, rotating the cylindrical structure around a longitudinal axis proximate to an electrically charged fiber emitter; electrically grounding or charging edge conductors circumferentially resident on the first and second segment, maintaining intermediate collector electrically neutral; dispensing electrospun fiber toward the collector, the fiber attaching to edge conductors and spanning the separation space between edge conductors; attracting electrospun fiber attached to the edge conductors to the surface of the cylindrical structure, forming a first fiber layer; increasing or decreasing rotation speed of the cylindrical structure to alter the angular cross-alignment relationship between aligned nanofibers in adjacent layers, the rotation speed being altered to achieve a target relational angle.

Training equipment is configured for targeted muscle actuation. The training equipment contains a muscle-powered actuating element and a damping system having two components that can move in relation to one another. One of the components is operatively connected to the actuating element, such that a movement of the actuating element can be damped. A field-sensitive rheological medium and a field generation system are associated with the damping system, in order to generate and control the field strength. A damping characteristic can be influenced by the field generation system. A control system is suited and configured to control the field generation system in a targeted manner in accordance with a training parameter, such that the movement of the actuating element can be damped taking into account the training parameter.

The present invention provides a particle-coated fiber comprising a fiber and particles coated on the fiber, and a method for forming the same. The method comprises: providing a suspension comprising the particles; providing a polymer solution for forming the fiber; electrospraying the suspension toward an area of a collector; and during the electrospraying of the suspension, electrospinning the polymer solution into the fiber and directing the fiber toward the area so as to meet with the suspension on the area and on the way to the area such that the particles are coated on the fiber during and after the formation of the fiber thereby forming the particle-coated fiber on the area. By the present method, the particles can be crowed on the surface of the fiber, and the adhesiveness between the fiber and the particles can be substantially enhanced.

A composite liquid filtration platform including a composite filtration medium featuring an electrospun polymeric nanofiber layer collected on a porous membrane. When in use, the porous membrane acts as a prefilter used upstream from the polymeric nanofiber layer to remove particles from a liquid stream flowing through the composite filtration structure. The nanofiber layer, positioned downstream from the porous membrane, is used as the retentive layer for critical filtration to provide biosafety assurance, and is responsible for capturing microorganisms like bacteria, mycoplasma or viruses. The composite liquid filtration platform provided herein exhibits permeability advantages over conventional porous membranes or nanofiber mats spun on coarse non-wovens.

A fluid conduit includes a first portion having a first porosity, a second portion disposed immediately adjacent to the first portion, the second portion having a second porosity that is greater than the first porosity, and a third portion of the fluid conduit disposed immediately adjacent to the second portion, the third portion having a third porosity that is less than the second porosity. Each of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion may be integrally formed as a single, continuous piece defining the fluid conduit.

Composites comprising polymeric nanofibers, metal oxide nanoparticles, and optional surface-segregating surfactants and precursor compositions are disclosed. Also disclosed are nonwoven mats formed from the composites and methods of making and using the composites. The composites enable the deployment of nanostructured materials for water treatment within a self-contained membrane with high water fluxes, as well as a number uses.

A polymer composite membrane, a method for fabricating same, and a lithium-ion battery including same are provided. The polymer composite membrane includes a porous base membrane and a heat-resistant layer covering at least one side surface of the porous base membrane, the heat-resistant layer includes a plurality of heat-resistant sub-layers sequentially stacked, and pore-blocking temperatures of the heat-resistant sub-layers are sequentially increased from inside to outside; each of the heat-resistant sub-layers includes at least one of a first heat-resistant polymer material and a second heat-resistant polymer material, and each of the heat-resistant sub-layers is separately configured as a fiber network structure; the melting point of the first heat-resistant polymer material is not less than 200° C.; and the melting point of the second heat-resistant polymer material is not less than 100° C.

Described herein are filtration membranes and related, compositions, methods and systems and in particular filtration membranes with embedded polymeric micro/nanoparticles and related compositions, methods, and systems.

A filter medium includes: a porous substrate; a nanofiber web laminated on both surfaces of the porous substrate, the nanofiber web being formed of accumulated nanofibers made of a polymer material and having a number of fine pores; and a fuse reinforcement material interposed between the nanofiber web and the porous substrate for adhesion with the nanofiber web and the porous substrate integrally. The porous substrate is surrounded by the nanofiber web except for an upper edge of the porous substrate, the upper edge of the porous substrate protrudes with respect to the nanofiber web to form a protruding portion, and the protruding portion is configured to be connected with a discharge hole through which purified water via the porous substrate is discharged.