The present disclosure provides an ion-exchange membrane that includes a supporting substrate impregnated with an ion-exchange material. The supporting substrate includes an imprinted non-woven layer, and the imprinting includes a plurality of deformations at a surface density of at least 16 per cm.sup.2. The supporting substrate may lack a reinforcing layer. In some examples, the supporting substrate may include only a single layer of the imprinted non-woven fabric.

The present application may provide a block copolymer and a use thereof. The present application may provide a block copolymer and a use thereof. The block copolymer of the present application may have excellent self-assembly properties or phase separation characteristics and simultaneously have characteristics capable of changing the self-assembly structure formed once, or provide a block copolymer capable of forming a pattern of phase separation structures in a polymer membrane.

A semipermeable arrangement for use in clinical, agricultural, industrial and/or environmental settings. The semipermeable arrangement has a structural arrangement formed from a material such as ePTFE that has an affinity to a lubricating fluid such as perfluorocarbon. The structural arrangement may be infused with a lubricating fluid such that the semipermeable arrangement resists fouling. The semipermeable arrangement is further arranged with barriers to prevent or limit the movement of the lubricating fluid through at least part of the structural arrangement. The semipermeable arrangement further has passageways that are free from the presence of, and/or cannot be infused with, lubricating fluid. The passageways permit the movement of fluids such as air, water and dissolved substances through the structural arrangement. The semipermeable arrangement is thereby both self-cleaning and porous and has a wide range of uses.

Disclosed are selectively-permeable membranes and components configured for selective permeation of a specified gas, such as oxygen, therethrough, methods for making the same and methods for using the same, for example, to implement fuel cells and electrochemical cells.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for the deposition of spacing elements for spiral wound elements that prevent nesting of adjacent spacer layers and occlusion of feed space during element rolling.

A filter membrane includes a membrane having through holes that selectively separates specific material in processing medium, the membrane including first, second and third layers such that the first layer has first surface that is supplied with processing medium, the third layer has second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, and the second layer is formed between the first and third layers. The first layer includes first convex and concave portions, the third layer includes second convex and concave portions each having a larger area than each first concave portion, the second convex portions are formed to surround the second concave portions and connected to one another, the second layer has through holes connecting the second concave portions and first set of the first concave portions, and the first concave portions include second set in regions opposing the second convex portions that is connected to each other.

Filtration membrane with improved mechanical stability and increased resistance to pressure is provided. The filtration membrane is useful for in vivo implantable filtration devices, such as, an artificial kidney. In vivo implantable filtration devices are also provided.

An immersed membranes uses aeration (air bubbles rising past the membranes) as a means to scour the membrane surface and keep it clean from solids, or foulants, allowing for continuous and effective operation. In a module of flat sheet membranes, fine bubble aeration is used to create and maintain space between the membrane sheets. The bubbles inhibit the sheets from touching and clogging together, thus reducing their surface area and their productivity. The aeration may be used for scouring, to supply oxygen to biomass and as a spacer to maintain the working surface area of immersed flat sheet membranes. The face-to-face spacing between the membrane sheets may be 4 mm or less. The bubbles may be less than twice the face-to-face spacing between the membrane sheets.

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.

A method of operating an immersed microporous membrane module includes a step of monitoring membrane performance to sense the onset of sludging in the module. Differences in permeability between permeation in backwashes, or trends in permeability during backwashing and permeability during permeation, or both, are monitored. Solid deposits formed during the onset of sludging may be removed with an in situ de-sludging process. For example, the deposits may be removed by stopping permeation while aerating the module, optionally at an increased rate. At other times, the module is optionally aerated while permeate is withdrawn at an aeration rate correlated to flux. The method may be used in particular with a membrane module having parallel textured flat sheet membranes suspended between a pair of vertically oriented headers. An aerator may be made from an open bottomed channel having an array of holes rising and concentrated towards the center of the channel.