The present invention relates to a separator membrane having a hierarchical structure, a production method therefor and a xylene separation method using same, and to: a separator membrane having a hierarchical structure comprising mesopores, the separator membrane having mesopores introduced inside a microporous zeolite separator membrane, thereby being thin, having less defects and exhibiting high xylene permeation and separation performance; a production method therefor; and a xylene separation method using same.

A monolayer membrane containing gelling polymer particles having at least one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and having a thickness of less than 5 μm. A composite having a porous carrier and gelling polymer particles having at least any one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group and filling up the surface pores of the porous carrier. The invention can provide a novel material capable of efficiently separating an acid gas from a mixed gas.

The invention relates to a porous separation article having a fluoropolymer or polyamide binder interconnecting one or more types of interactive powdery materials or fibers. The interconnectivity is such that the binder connects the powdery materials or fibers in discrete spots rather than as a complete coating, allowing the materials or fibers to be in direct contact with, and interact with a fluid. The resulting article is a formed multicomponent, interconnected web, with porosity. The separation article is useful in water purification, as well as in the separation of dissolved or suspended materials in both aqueous and non-aqueous systems in industrial uses. The separation article can function at ambient temperature, as well as at elevated temperatures.

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.

Membranes including functionalized carbon nanotubes, nanodiamonds and/or graphene oxide immobilized in or on the membranes are disclosed. The membranes including the immobilized nanocarbons increase interactions with water vapor to improve desalination efficiency in membrane distillation. The membranes may be deployed in all modes of membrane distillation such as air gap membrane distillation, direct contact membrane distillation, vacuum membrane distillation and other separations.

Methods for forming an ultrathin GO membrane are provided. The method can include: dispersing a single-layered graphene oxide powder in deionized water to form a single-layered graphene oxide dispersion; centrifuging the graphene oxide dispersion to remove aggregated graphene oxide material from the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion; thereafter, diluting the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion by about ten times or more through addition of deionized water to the graphene oxide dispersion; and thereafter, passing the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion through a substrate such that a graphene oxide membrane is formed on the substrate. Filtration membranes are also provided and can include: a graphene oxide membrane having a thickness of about 1.8 nm to about 180 nm, with the graphene oxide membrane comprises about 3 to about 30 layers of graphene oxide flakes.

A separation membrane structure comprises a porous support, a first separation membrane formed on the porous support, and a second separation membrane formed on the first separation membrane. The first separation membrane has an average pore diameter of greater than or equal to 0.32 nm and less than or equal to 0.44 nm. The second separation membrane includes addition of at least one of a metal cation or a metal complex that tends to adsorb nitrogen in comparison to methane.

A ceramic separation membrane structure in which a zeolite separation membrane formed on a ceramic porous body is repaired, and a repair method thereof. In the ceramic separation membrane structure, a zeolite separation membrane is disposed on a ceramic porous body, and defects of the zeolite separation membrane are repaired by zeolite repaired portions containing zeolite of structure different from the structure of zeolite of the zeolite separation membrane. The zeolite separation membrane and the zeolite repaired portions are made of a hydrophobic zeolite having a ratio of SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3=100 or more.

A membrane is described for purifying or separating hydrogen from a multi-component gas stream such as syngas. This membrane uses a molecular pre-treatment, a transition metal, fluorine containing polymer, carbon fibers and carbon matrix sintered on a supportive screen. The membrane may be a bilayer membrane comprised of a layer containing high surface area carbon and another layer containing lower surface area carbon.

Described herein are passive samplers, making of such samplers, and methods of use. In an example embodiment, a passive sampling membrane comprises, for example, a continuous mesoporous sequestration media having a sequestration phase and a support membrane configured to support the sequestration phase. The sequestration phase may include a hydrophobic region and a hydrophilic region. The continuous mesoporous sequestration media may be configured to simultaneously sequester polar and non-polar organic substances.