The invention relates to a continuous method for removing a solvent from a suspension or solution comprising a target polymer, wherein the method comprises the steps of delivering said suspension or solution to an extruder, wherein said extruder comprises a size classification unit that is designed to be permeable for the solvent and impermeable for the target polymer; and filtration and extrusion of said suspension or solution in said extruder. The invention also relates to a plastic waste recycling system for recycling a target polymer. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a polymer material obtained by this recycling method.

Provided is a post-formation process for preparation of a highly permeable thin film composite membranes for reverse osmosis, particularly for use with brackish water at low energy conditions. The process includes contacting a polyamide discrimination layer of a TFC membrane with a solution containing an oxidizing agent to form a treated membrane, followed by contacting the treated membrane with a solution containing a reducing agent. The resulting membrane exhibits enhanced water flux while maintaining salt rejection. Also provided are reverse osmosis membranes prepared in accord with the method, and modules containing the highly permeable thin film composite membranes, and methods of purifying water using the membranes or modules.

A biocompatible membrane composite including a first layer (cell impermeable layer), a second layer (a mitigation layer), and a third layer (a vascularization layer) is provided. The mitigation layer may be positioned between the cell impermeable layer and the vascularization layer In some embodiments, the cell impermeable layer and the mitigation layer are intimately bonded to form a composite layer having a tight/open structure. A reinforcing component may optionally be positioned on either side of the biocompatible membrane composite or within the biocompatible membrane composite to provide support to and prevent distortion of the membrane composite. The biocompatible membrane composite may be used in or to form a device for encapsulating biological entities, including, but not limited to, pancreatic lineage type cells such as pancreatic progenitors.

Cell encapsulation devices for biological entities and/or cell populations that contain at least one biocompatible membrane composite are provided. The cell encapsulation devices mitigate or tailor the foreign body response from a host such that sufficient blood vessels are able to form at a cell impermeable surface. Additionally, the encapsulation devices have an oxygen diffusion distance that is sufficient for the survival of the encapsulated cells so that the cells are able to secrete a therapeutically useful substance. The biocompatible membrane composite is formed of a cell impermeable layer and a mitigation layer. The cell encapsulation device maintains an optimal oxygen diffusion distance through the design of the cell encapsulation device or through the use of lumen control mechanisms. Lumen control mechanisms include a reinforcing component that is also a nutrient impermeable layer, internal structural pillars, internal tensioning member(s), and/or an internal cell displacing core.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a polyolefin microporous membrane, including: a first porous layer containing a polyolefin and having a structure including a first rod-shaped crystal extending in one direction and plural first plate-shaped crystals arranged in a separated state and intersecting the first rod-shaped crystal, and a second porous layer containing a polyolefin and having a structure including a second rod-shaped crystal extending in another direction intersecting the one direction and plural second plate-shaped crystals arranged in a separated state and intersecting the second rod-shaped crystal.

The present invention is directed to asymmetric membranes and methods for making such membranes, wherein the membranes have a void volume and nanoparticles located in the void volume. The membranes have a variety of applications, including blood purification, water purification, water decontamination and bioprocessing.

Disclosed are methods for preparing a thin film composite membrane by subjecting a solution comprising one or more zwitterionic copolymers to an electrospraying process, thereby preparing the thin film composite membrane.

Provided are a forward osmosis membrane, a forward osmosis membrane module, and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein a forward osmosis membrane, which achieves an extremely favorable reduction in the reverse diffusion of salt compared to the prior art and has a predetermined water permeability, is developed thereby bringing about: practicality in that a liquid-like raw material solution used in actual concentration operations can be concentrated with suppressed diffusion of an induction solution even when used multiple times; and durability in that the performance of the membrane can be maintained within a predetermined range even when a raw material solution having an osmotic pressure is concentrated multiple times. According to an aspect, provided is a forward osmosis membrane having a polymeric separation active layer disposed on the surface of a microporous support membrane, wherein when purified water is placed as a raw material solution on the separation active layer side and 3.5 mass % of a sodium chloride aqueous solution is placed as an induction solution on the support membrane side, with the forward osmosis membrane therebetween, the amount R1 of reverse diffusion of salt into the raw material solution is 0.65 g/(m.sup.2×hr) or less, and the amount F1 of water permeation into the induction solution is at least 3.5 kg/(m.sup.2×hr).

Provided is a composition for forming a separation membrane active layer, the composition comprising a compound of the following Chemical Formula 1 and a compound of the following Chemical Formula 2, wherein a percentage (a/b) of a weight (a) of the compound of Chemical Formula 1 to a weight (b) of the compound of Chemical Formula 2 is 30% to 60%, and a pH thereof is 11 to 12.7:

##STR00001## wherein in Chemical Formulae 1 and 2: R1 to R16 are each independently —CRR′— or —NR″—. at least two of R1 to R10 are —NR″—; at least two of R11 to R16 are —NR″—; and R, R′, and R″ are each independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; a method for producing a separation membrane; a separation membrane; and a water treatment module.

Embodiments include methods of fabricating a zeolite-like metal-organic framework with an ana-topology (ana-ZMOF) thin film membrane, the methods comprising: (1) modifying a substrate with ana-ZMOF crystal precursors in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone; and (2) intergrowing the ana-ZMOF crystal precursors in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone to form a continuous defect-free thin film of an ana-ZMOF intergrown on the substrate. Embodiments further include methods of separating chemical species comprising contacting an ana-ZMOF thin film membrane with a fluid composition containing one or more chemical species and separating at least one of the chemical species.