The present invention is directed to asymmetric membranes and methods for making such membranes, wherein the membranes have a void volume and nanoparticles located in the void volume. The membranes have a variety of applications, including blood purification, water purification, water decontamination and bioprocessing.

Disclosed are methods for preparing a thin film composite membrane by subjecting a solution comprising one or more zwitterionic copolymers to an electrospraying process, thereby preparing the thin film composite membrane.

Method for preparing a membrane from fibril cellulose includes supplying fibril cellulose dispersion on a filter layer, draining liquid from a fibril cellulose dispersion by the effect of reduced pressure through the filter layer that is impermeable to fibrils of the fibril cellulose but permeable to the liquid to form a membrane sheet on the filter fabric, applying heat on the opposite side of the membrane sheet to the membrane sheet while continuing draining of the liquid through the filter layer by pressure difference over the filter layer, and removing the membrane sheet from the filter layer as a freestanding membrane.

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.

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.

During a first stage of a priming procedure, a priming fluid is conveyed into a spinning membrane separator via a filtrate outlet port so as to convey air out of the spinning membrane separator via an inlet port and a retentate outlet port of the spinning membrane separator. During an optional second stage of the priming procedure, the priming fluid is conveyed into the spinning membrane separator via the inlet port so as to convey air out of the spinning membrane separator via the retentate outlet port. A rotor positioned within a housing of the spinning membrane separator may be rotated with respect to the housing during the first and second stages to force air from within the rotor into an annulus defined between the rotor and the housing for more complete priming of the spinning membrane separator.

Apparatuses and methods for fabricating thin film composite hollow fiber membranes. In some implementations, an apparatus is used to remove excess first solution from a hollow fiber that has been immersed in a first solution. In some implementations, the method and apparatuses include flowing a gas, for example, compressed gas or ambient air, past a surface of a hollow fiber that has been immersed in a first solution prior to immersion in a second solution. In some implementations, the gas is flowed past the surface under positive pressure, while in other implementations the gas is flowed under negative pressure, for example, vacuum. The apparatuses and devices can be used to produce thin film composite hollow fiber membranes without pressing or damaging the hollow fiber.

A piece of substrate material is formed under heat and pressure against a cavity into a shaped substrate sheet having one or more depressions. Two substrate sheets are bonded together to form a substrate wherein the one or more depressions form one or more interior channels. The substrate, if not formed with pre-coated substrate material, is coated with a dope and quenched to form a filtering membrane. A plurality of membranes may be placed side by side to form a bundle with permeating ends of the membrane, which are open to the one or more interior channels, separated by gaps or spacers. The bundle is connected to a header to produce a module. The module can be assembled into a cassette.

A method for manufacturing a porous film includes: a first step of preparing droplets (D) which are formed from a first liquid into spheres with a predetermined diameter of 10 μm or more and 2000 μm or less and a second liquid (L2) which includes a curing agent which cures by imparting energy or a curing agent which cures due to change in pH and includes droplets dispersed therein; a second step of injecting the droplets and the second liquid into a gap between a pair of substrates (31 and 32); a third step of curing the second liquid to form an external phase; and the fourth step of removing the droplets in the external phase to form hole sections.

The present invention provides a coated hollow fiber membrane which has an isoporous inner skin and a porous outer support membrane, i.e. an inside-out isoporous composite hollow fiber membrane, and to a method of preparing such membranes. The coated hollow fiber membrane is prepared by a method comprising providing a hollow fiber support membrane having a lumen surrounded by the support membrane, and coating and the inner surface thereof by first passing a polymer solution of at least one amphiphilic block copolymer in a suitable solvent through the lumen of the hollow fiber support membrane and along the inner surface thereof, thereafter pressing a core gas stream through the lumen of the coated hollow fiber mebrane, and thereafter passing a non-solvent (precipitant) through the lumen of the coated hollow fiber membrane. In order to remove the solvent or solvents completely, the membranes are kept in water for 1-2 days and washed prior to use. In order to maintain the porosity of support membrane, membrane pretreatment is advantageous prior to coating which reduces the infiltration of block copolymer solution. The membranes are useful infiltration modules, in particular microfiltration modules, ultrafiltration modules, nano-filtration modules.