A hollow-fiber membrane is presented. The hollow fiber membrane, includes a copolymer including sulfone structural units having a formula (I) and zwitterion-functionalized structural units having a formula (II). Method of making the hollow-fiber membrane is also presented.

Systems and methods for using a filtration medium coated with a zwitterionic polyelectrolyte to treat slop water recovered. In some embodiments, the systems include: a treatment unit including an inlet for receiving a slop water stream into the treatment unit, a first filtration medium including a porous substrate at least partially coated with a zwitterionic polyelectrolyte, wherein the first filtration medium is disposed to separate a first portion of the slop water stream in the treatment unit from a second portion of the slop water stream in the treatment unit, wherein the first portion of the slop water stream includes water, a first outlet on a first side of the first filtration medium, and a second outlet on a second side of the first filtration medium opposite the first side.

Systems and methods for using a filtration medium coated with a zwitterionic polyelectrolyte to treat various fluids including, but not limited to, fracturing fluids and drilling muds recovered at a rig site. In some embodiments, the systems include: a fluid treatment system for treating a treatment fluid, wherein the fluid treatment system includes a treatment unit including an inlet for receiving a treatment fluid stream into the treatment unit, a first filtration medium including a porous substrate at least partially coated with a zwitterionic polyelectrolyte, wherein the first filtration medium separates a first portion of the treatment fluid stream from a second portion of the treatment fluid stream, wherein the first portion of the treatment fluid stream includes water, a first outlet on a first side of the first filtration medium, and a second outlet on a second side of the first filtration medium opposite the first side.

This invention relates to a hydrophilic polymer and membrane for oil-water separation. More particularly, this invention relates to a super hydrophilic polymer and membrane with zwitterionic property for oil-water separation, and method of producing the same. The hydrophilic polymer comprises polymer repeat units, each unit having at least one negatively charged carboxylic functional group and at least one positively charged amine functional group; and a monomer having a single aromatic ring and an imide functional group.

Methods for making porous polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) films are provided. In an embodiment, such a method comprises coating the surface of a substrate with a polyelectrolyte (PE) coacervate mixture, the PE coacervate mixture comprising a cationic polymer, an anionic polymer, water, and a salt, the PE coacervate having a salt concentration; exposing the coating to an aqueous medium having another salt concentration, for a time to induce solidification of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) in the form of a PEC film having pores distributed throughout, wherein a difference Δ?C-M #191 between the salt concentration of the PE coacervate mixture and the salt concentration of the aqueous medium is selected to achieve a predetermined porosity for the porous PEC film.

The present invention relates to a method for removing metal ions from an aqueous system comprising a step of filtering the aqueous system through a loaded membrane which contains a carrier membrane based on a polyarylene ethersulfone which carries anionic groups, and a cationic polymer which is a polymer comprising primary and/or secondary amino groups. The invention further relates to a loaded membrane which contains a carrier membrane based on a polyarylene ethersulfone which carries anionic groups, and a cationic polymer which is a polymer comprising primary and/or secondary amino groups.

Provided is a method of forming a filter module. The method includes: forming a non-pore ion-exchange membrane including: preparing a mixed solution of a polymer material and an ion-exchange material; and electrospraying the mixed solution to obtain the non-pore ion-exchange membrane; and interposing the non-pore ion-exchange membrane between a first polymer nanofiber web and a second polymer nanofiber web to form the filter module.

Provided is a an amphiphilic diblock copolymer including from 40 to 60% by weight, relative to the weight of the copolymer, of a hydrophilic block including a unit derived from an n-butyl acrylate monomer and a derived from a hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer. The copolymer also includes from 40 to 60% by weight, relative to the weight of the copolymer, of a hydrophobic block including at least one unit derived from a methyl methacrylate monomer. Also provided is a polymeric membrane that includes the block copolymer and a hydrophobic polymeric matrix. This membrane is useful for treating an effluent, for example, water.

A membrane comprising an anion exchange layer (AEL) and a cation exchange layer (CEL) wherein the CEL is obtainable by a process comprising curing a curable composition comprising a compound of Formula (I): Formula (I) wherein: X is is of the formula OC.sub.nH.sub.2n+1 or OC.sub.qH2.sub.q1, wherein n has a value of of 1 to 6 and q has a value of 5 or 6; and m has a value of 1 or 2.

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Disclosed is a statistical copolymer that includes both zwitterionic repeat units and hydrophobic repeat units, and a filtration membrane that contains a selective layer formed of the statistical copolymer. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the above-described filtration membrane.