The purpose of the present invention is to provide a composite electrolyte membrane which has excellent chemical resistance and can maintain sufficient mechanical strength even under conditions of high humidity and high pressure, which are the operating conditions for electrochemical hydrogen pumps and water electrolyzers. This composite electrolyte membrane, which is for achieving said purpose, has a composite layer obtained by combining a polyelectrolyte with a mesh woven material that satisfies (1) and (2) and comprises liquid crystal polyester fibers or polyphenylene sulfide fibers. (1): Mesh thickness (μm)/fiber diameter (μm)<2.0. (2): Opening (μm)/fiber diameter (μm)>1.0.

A membrane system including an anti-fouling layer and a method of applying an anti-fouling layer to a membrane surface are provided. In an embodiment, the surface is a microfiltration (MF) or an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane surface. The anti-fouling layer can include a stimuli responsive layer and a dynamic protective layer applied over the stimuli responsive layer that can be a coating on a surface of the membrane. The stimuli responsive polymer layer can act as an adhesive prior to coating with the dynamic protective layer to aid in adhering the dynamic protective layer to the membrane surface. The dynamic protective layer can be formed by suitable nanoparticles that can prevent adhesion of foulants directly to the membrane surface. The stimuli responsive layer can be responsive to physio-chemical stimuli to cause a release of the stimuli responsive layer and the dynamic protective layer including foulants from the membrane.

Described in the present application are methods of producing silane-crosslinked polymer membranes at moderate temperatures using acid catalysts that, in certain embodiments, result in membranes with unexpectedly high permeabilities and selectivities. In certain embodiments, grafting and crosslinking of the silanes occur by immersing a preformed membrane in a solution comprising a silane and an acid catalyst. Alternatively, in certain embodiments, grafting of silanes to a polymer occurs in the presence of acid catalyst in solution and subsequent casting and drying produces crosslinked membranes. In certain embodiments, an acid catalyst is a weak acid catalyst. Also described in the present application are asymmetric crosslinked polymer membranes with porous layers. In certain embodiments, crosslinked cellulose acetate membranes have permeability up to an order of magnitude greater than the permeability of unmodified cellulose acetate membranes. The membranes have porous layers with a high porosity due to their processing in moderate conditions.

Provided is a hydrophilic porous membrane including a porous membrane and a hydroxyalkyl cellulose (preferably, hydroxypropyl cellulose) retained in the porous membrane, the hydroxyalkyl cellulose having a weight-average molecular weight of 10,000 or more and less than 110,000. The hydrophilic porous membrane of embodiments of the invention has high water permeability and can pass an integrity test in the case of being used as a filtration membrane of a filter cartridge. Also provided is a method for producing the above-mentioned hydrophilic porous membrane, the method comprising causing a hydrophilizing liquid including 0.005% to 0.500% by mass of a hydroxyalkyl cellulose having a weight-average molecular weight of 10,000 or more and less than 110,000, to permeate a porous membrane.

A thermally reflective membrane apparatus comprises a housing structure, and a thermally reflective membrane contained within the housing structure. The thermally reflective membrane comprises a semipermeable structure, and a porous, thermally reflective structure physically contacting the semipermeable structure. The porous, thermally reflective structure comprises discrete thermally reflective particles, and a binder material coupling the discrete thermally reflective particles to one another and the semipermeable structure. A fluid treatment system and method of treating a fluid are also described.

The present invention relates to a dye-salt separation membrane and a preparation method thereof. The method includes the following steps: firstly pouring an aqueous phase solution containing tannic acid and anhydrous piperazine on a surface of a polysulfone-based ultrafiltration base membrane at a mass ratio of the tannic acid to the anhydrous piperazine of 1:2 to 2:1, followed by complete infiltration, and draining the aqueous phase solution; and then pouring an organic phase solution of trimesoyl chloride on the surface of the base membrane, and draining the organic phase solution to obtain the dye-salt separation membrane. The method of the present invention is simple and easy to implement, and the dye-salt separation membrane prepared by the method has a relatively high solution permeability, an efficient dye retention and permeability of inorganic salts, thereby achieving an excellent dye-salt separation effect.

A separation membrane for selectively separating (e.g., pervaporating) a first fluid (e.g., a first liquid) from a mixture comprising the first fluid (e.g., first liquid) and a second fluid (e.g., second liquid), wherein the separation membrane includes a polymeric ionomer that has a highly fluorinated backbone and recurring pendant groups according to the following formula (Formula I): OR.sub.f[SO.sub.2N.sup.(Z.sup.+)SO.sub.2R].sub.m[SO.sub.2].sub.n-Q wherein: R.sub.f is a perfluorinated organic linking group; R is an organic linking group; Z.sup.+ is H.sup.+, a monovalent cation, or a multivalent cation; Q is H, F, NH, O-2 Y+, or C.sub.xF.sub.2x+1; Y.sup.+ is H.sup.+, a monovalent cation, or a multivalent cation; x=1 to 4; m=0 to 6; and n=0 or 1; with the proviso that at least one of m or n must be non-zero.

The present application discloses a polymer material, membrane and coating as well as preparation methods and applications thereof. The polymer material is formed by the phase inversion of a polymer compound containing an ionizable hydrophilic group and the ionization of the hydrophilic group. The polymer material has a static contact angle of greater than 140 and an adhesive force of less than 10 N with respect to multiple oil phase systems in water. The polymer material provided by the present application has an underwater super-hydrophobic property and an anti-adhesion function not only to diesel, oil, edible oil and other low-viscosity light oil and numerous water-immiscible organic solvents, but also to petroleum, heavy oil, silicone oil, heavy diesel and other high-viscosity oil. A membrane, coating and the like formed from the polymer material is resistant to oil adhesion and contamination in water along with a self-cleaning effect, and thus has a broad application prospect in a variety of fields.

A semipermeable membrane according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a semipermeable membrane layer containing an amorphous resin as a main component, and a sheet-like supporting body that supports the semipermeable membrane layer. The supporting body has a porous first supporting layer and a porous second supporting layer laminated on one of surfaces of the first supporting layer. The second supporting layer has a smaller mean flow pore diameter than the first supporting layer. The second supporting layer is impregnated with the semipermeable membrane layer. A ratio of the mean flow pore diameter of the second supporting layer to the mean flow pore diameter of the first supporting layer is preferably 1/1,000 or more and or less. The mean flow pore diameter of the first supporting layer is preferably 0.05 m or more and 20 m or less, and the mean flow pore diameter of the second supporting layer is preferably 0.01 m or more and 1 m or less.

Disclosed herein are hybrid membranes comprising: a microporous polymer, the microporous polymer comprising a continuous polymer phase permeated by a continuous pore phase; and an atomic scale inorganic material dispersed throughout the microporous polymer within the continuous pore phase. Methods of making and use of the hybrid membranes are also disclosed.