A method of producing a hollow fiber membrane having an outside coating with a thin film composite (TFC) layer with a transmembrane protein, the method including the steps of: preparing an aqueous solution including a self-assembled nanostructure including polyalkyleneimine (PAI) and a detergent solubilized transmembrane protein and a di- or triamine, preparing an apolar solution including a di- or triacyl halide in an apolar organic solvent, contacting a hollow fiber membrane with the either the solution according to step a) or the solution according to step b), removing excess solution if any, contacting the hollow fiber membrane with the other solution, allowing an interfacial polymerization reaction to take place, and rinsing the hollow fiber membrane with an aqueous solvent. The hollow fiber is applicable e.g. for extracting water from the product solution.

A method of synthesis for an aluminophosphate-based zeolite membrane includes a steps of preparing a mixed solution with a pH greater than or equal to 6 and less than or equal to 9 by mixing an acidic phosphorous source with an alkali source, a steps of preparing a starting material solution by adding and mixing an aluminum source to the prepared mixed solution, and a steps of synthesizing an aluminophosphate-based zeolite membrane by hydrothermally synthesizing the starting material solution.

A hand-carry gravity-driven water filter with high throughput and water disinfection performance is formed. Membranes used for this water filter can be fabricated using electrospun method and non-solvent induced phase inversion method. A novel composite membrane structure (interwoven composite structure) was designed for further enhances water permeability and mechanical strength. The composite membrane can be composed of nanofibers with different diameter from the same polymer or different polymers. Membrane porosity and surface pore size can be controlled. Silver nanoparticles can be in-situ loaded on the surface of the membranes. The developed filter is effective for removal of a wide range of contaminants (e.g., pathogens, suspended solids and heavy metals). The purification process can be carried out under the drive of gravity (with an option for mechanically-enhanced filtration) without electricity.

A filtration membrane coating comprising a hydrophilic polymer, a surfactant, and one or more charged compounds, each containing one or more sulfonate functionalities and one or more linkable functionalities selected from the group consisting of amine, monochlorotriazine, and dichlorotriazine. The hydrophilic polymer and surfactant form a thin primer layer which is also superhydrophilic. The primer layer improves flux, and enables improved adhesion of the one or more charged compounds, which form a charged dye layer on top of the primer layer when enhances rejection of charged divalent ions. The coating can be applied while the membrane is packaged in its final form, such as in a spiral wound or other configuration.

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 ?m or more and 2000 ?m 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.

An object of the present invention is to provide a separation membrane having high permeability and selective removability of divalent/monovalent ions. The separation membrane of the present invention includes a supporting membrane and a separation functional layer formed on the supporting membrane, in which the separation functional layer contains a polymerized product of a polyfunctional amine with a polyfunctional acid halide, the polyfunctional amine contains a polyfunctional aliphatic amine as a main component, the separation functional layer has a hollow protuberant structure, and the separation functional layer has a relative surface area of 1.1-10.0.

A composite polyamide reverse osmosis membrane comprising a polyamide layer; where the polyamide layer has a thickness in the range of 50-250 nm, and large open spaces (i.e., free volumes); where the open spaces are defined by a ratio of water flux, J.sub.w, (gfd) divided by the average surface roughness, Ra, (nm) of the polyamide layer; wherein the composite polyamide reverse osmosis membrane has the ratio of J.sub.w/Ra>0.35 gfd/nm when tested at 65 psi, using an aqueous solution containing 250 ppm of NaCl; and a microporous support with a thickness ranging from 100-150 ?m. The present invention also relates to processes of fabricating the composite polyamide reverse osmosis membrane.

A membrane includes a polysulfone-based support, a polydopamine (PDA) layer disposed on a surface of the polysulfone-based support, and a silver/polydopamine (Ag/PDA) composite layer disposed on a surface of the polydopamine layer. The polysulfone-based support has a pore size of up to 600 nanometers (nm). The Ag/PDA composite layer contains core-shell structure particles and spherical particles. The core-shell structure particles have a silver nanoparticle core and a polydopamine shell. The spherical particles are silver-decorated polydopamine particles. The membrane can at least partially separate an Erichrome Black T (EBT) dye from an EBT dye/salt containing mixture by rejecting the EBT dye and allowing the EBT dye/salt containing mixture to pass through the membrane.

A sterilization filter includes a synthetic polymer film, the synthetic polymer film having a surface which has a plurality of first raised portions, a two-dimensional size of the plurality of first raised portions being more than 20 nm and less than 500 ?m when viewed in a normal direction. The synthetic polymer film is arranged in a predetermined shape. In the arrangement of the predetermined shape, an inclination of a normal to the surface varies depending on a position over the surface, and an inclination of a normal to a surface opposite to the surface varies depending on a position over the opposite surface. At least part of the surface is capable of coming into contact with a gas or liquid.

The invention relates to a method for creating a porous film through aqueous phase separation, the method comprising: i) providing an aqueous solution comprising a responsive copolymer, and optionally a charged polymer, wherein at least one of the monomers in the responsive copolymer is a responsive monomer; ii) forming the aqueous solution into a thin layer and contacting the thin layer of aqueous solution with an aqueous coagulation solution in which the responsive copolymer is not soluble, or contacting the thin layer of aqueous solution with an aqueous coagulation solution in which a complex comprising the responsive copolymer and the charged polymer is not soluble; and iii) allowing solvent exchange between the aqueous solution and the aqueous coagulation solution to produce a porous film. The invention further relates to porous films or membranes thus obtained.