A base material for a membrane filter contains 90% by mass or more of aluminum oxide and 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less of titanium oxide. In a pore distribution curve measured by a mercury porosimeter, the base material has a first peak and a second peak which is higher than the first peak and is located at a pore size larger than that of the first peak, and the volume of pores with a pore size of 7 μm or more is 0.02 cm.sup.3/g or more.

Sometimes, a problem is obvious, everyone sees it, but nothing happens until someone decides to do something useful about it. Methods are herein provided for recovering heavy hydrocarbons from plastic materials and/or geo-formation. In one solution set, PVC waste materials are emulsified by an amine solvent in an aqueous phase, thereby extracting heavier hydrocarbons from the primary structure of PVC into the amine aqueous phase; followed by de-emulsifying the extracted heavier hydrocarbons by separating and recovering the amine solvent, and then separating the de-emulsified heavier hydrocarbons from the aqueous phase by a hydrophobic membrane.

The present invention relates, in general terms, to a composite membrane for use in filtration. The present invention also relates to a method of fabricating the composite membrane, and a method of filtrating using the composite membrane as disclosed herein. The method of fabricating a composite membrane comprising contacting a perfluorinated polymer solution with a surface of a polymer layer and drying the perfluorinated polymer solution at a relative humidity of less than 20% to form a perfluorinated polymer layer physisorbed on the surface of the polymer layer.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a composite separation membrane which is excellent in not only a liquid permeable performance and a separation performance relatively but also a durability and which is particularly useful as a membrane for liquid treatment, and a method for treating a liquid by using the composite separation membrane. The composite separation membrane according to the present invention is characterized in comprising a supporting base material and a complex layer, wherein the complex layer is placed on the supporting base material, the complex layer comprises oxidized metal nanosheets, graphene oxide and an alkanolamine, and at least one of the alkanolamine is present between the oxidized metal nanosheets.

A system for liver dialysis makes use of a high cut-off hemodialysis membrane for removing water-soluble and protein-bound toxins from the blood of a person in need. A high cut-off hollow fiber hemodialysis membrane has improved potential to remove albumin-bound toxins and inflammatory mediators.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hollow fiber membrane bundle from a plurality of polysulfone and PVP-based hollow fiber membranes which encompasses the providing of a spinning solution comprising a polysulfone-based material, in particular polysulfone, a vinylpyrrolidone-based polymer, in particular polyvinylpyrrolidone, an aprotic solvent, in particular dimethylacetamide, providing a coagulant liquid comprising water and an aprotic solvent, in particular dimethylacetamide, co-extruding the spinning solution and the coagulant liquid through a concentric annular spinneret into a hollow strand, whereby the cavity of the strand is filled with coagulant liquid, conducting the strand through a precipitation gap, introducing the strand into a precipitating bath comprised substantially of water so as to obtain a hollow fiber membrane, conducting the hollow fiber membranes through at least one rinsing bath and drying the hollow fiber membrane obtained, arranging the resulting hollow fiber membranes into a hollow fiber membrane bundle, and treating the hollow fiber membrane bundle with water vapor.

A separation membrane complex includes a porous support and a separation membrane formed on the support. The separation membrane has a small void. A small void index I.sub.k expressed by (Σ(S.sub.k.sup.1.5))/(S.sub.m.sup.1.5) and indicating the abundance ratio of small voids is higher than or equal to 10×10.sup.−15, and a large void index I.sub.p expressed by (Σ(S.sub.p.sup.2))/(S.sub.m.sup.2) and indicating the abundance ratio of large voids is lower than 200×10.sup.−22, where S.sub.m is the surface area of the separation membrane, S.sub.k is the area per small void, and S.sub.p is the area per large void. Accordingly, the separation membrane complex can achieve a high separation ratio.

Charge mosaic membranes useful for desalination applications, and methods of making and using the same, are described.

A hollow fiber membrane module includes: a first hollow fiber membrane whose sieving coefficient for dextran having a molecular weight of not less than 300 kDa nor more than 1000 kDa is not less than 0.12 nor more than 0.28, wherein the first hollow fiber membrane adsorbs endotoxins.

A spiral wound membrane module has a brackish water RO or NF membrane combined with a permeate carrier having a narrow spacing between membrane contacting elements. The membrane may have water permeability (A-Value) of at least 8*10.sup.−5 cm/s/bar at 25° C. The membrane may have salt diffusion rate (B-Value) of at least 0.5*10.sup.−5 cm/s at 25° C. The permeate carrier may have a density of 54 wales per inch or more of a gap between adjacent ribs of 215 um or less. The permeate carrier may have a channel cross-sectional area of 16*10.sup.−9 m.sup.2 or more. Water is fed to the module at a high feed pressure, for example a pressure of at least 50 bar, optionally up to 120 bar. Retentate may be discharged at a concentration of 100 g/L, 130 g/L, or 150 g/L or more.