A polyolefin microporous membrane has a microporous structure with a small pore size and a highly superior air permeability and the like. The polyolefin microporous membrane includes at least a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is composed of a first polyolefin resin containing polyethylene, wherein the second layer is composed of a second polyolefin resin containing polyethylene and polypropylene, and wherein the polyolefin microporous membrane satisfies (I) and (II); and the like. (I) The polyolefin microporous membrane has an air resistance of from 10 to 200 sec/100 ml. (II) The polyolefin microporous membrane has a bubble point pore size of from 5 to 35 nm.

A method is disclosed for producing an artificial lung including a plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes for gas exchange which have an outer surface, an inner surface forming a lumen, and an opening portion communicating the outer surface with the inner surface. The method includes bringing any of the outer surface and the inner surface into contact with a colloidal solution that contains an antithrombotic high-molecular compound to circulate carbon dioxide gas to a side of the other surface. According to the present disclosure, an artificial lung can be produced in which a coating amount of antithrombotic high-polymer material (an antithrombotic high-molecular compound) on a hollow fiber membrane is increased.

The present invention is directed to soy protein products, very low in, or free of, beany flavour notes and useful for the fortification of food and beverage products and prepared without the use of salt in the process. The soy protein products of the present invention are obtained by extracting soy protein source with water to form an aqueous soy protein solution, at least partially separating the aqueous soy protein solution from residual soy protein source, adjusting the pH of the aqueous soy protein solution to a pH of about 1.5 to about 3.6 to solubilize at least a portion of the protein and form an acidified soy protein solution then separating the acidified soy protein solution from the acid insoluble solid material. The acidified soy protein solution may be dried following optional concentration and diafiltration to form a soy protein product, which may be an isolate. The acid insoluble solid material may be washed with acidified water and then dried to form another soy protein product. These products may be dried at the acidic pH at which they were prepared or may be adjusted in pH before drying.

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for separating a wax product from a hydrocarbon feedstream by a) conducting a hydrocarbon feedstream to a membrane separation zone; b) retrieving at least one retentate product stream from the first side of the membrane element; c) retrieving at least one permeate product stream having a wax phase and an oil phase from a second side of the membrane element, wherein a pour point of the wax phase of the permeate product stream is higher than a pour point of the oil phase of permeate product stream; and d) separating a wax product from the wax phase of the permeate product stream.

The invention relates to pre-treating an oil derived from a renewable feedstock to remove at least a portion of one or more contaminants by filtering the oil with a nanofiltration membrane. The resulting permeate oil has a reduced concentration of the contaminant relative to the feed stream to the nanofiltration membrane.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.

A substrate for a liquid filter contains a polyolefin microporous membrane. A mean flow pore size d.sub.PP in a pore size distribution of the polyolefin microporous membrane measured by a half dry method according to gas-liquid phase substitution is from 1 nm to 20 nm. A mean flow pore size d.sub.LLP in a pore size distribution of the polyolefin microporous membrane measured by a half dry method according to liquid-liquid phase substitution is from 1 nm to 15 nm. A difference (d.sub.PP?d.sub.LLP) between the mean flow pore size d.sub.PP and the mean flow pore size d.sub.LLP is 12 nm or less, and a thickness of the polyolefin microporous membrane is from 4 to 25 ?m.

The invention describes a method for obtaining purified recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus particles (rAAV), comprising the steps of: a) performing a depth filtration of a starting material previously obtained from cells producing rAAV particles, the said starting material being selected in a group comprising a cell lysate and a culture supernatant, whereby a rAAV-containing clarified composition is provided; b) submitting the rAAV-containing clarified composition to a first step of anion-exchange chromatography on a chromatographic support wherein elution is performed by using a linear salt gradient and wherein the rAAV-containing fraction is collected, whereby a first rAAV enriched composition is provided; c) submitting the first rAAV enriched composition at least once to a second step of anion-exchange chromatography on a chromatographic support wherein elution is performed by using a linear salt gradient and wherein the rAAV-containing fraction is collected, whereby a second rAAV enriched composition is provided; d) submitting the second rAAV enriched composition to a step of tangential flow filtration, whereby purified recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus particles (rAAV) are provided.

Compositions and methods related to the synthesis and application of poly(aryl ether)s are generally described.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a copolymer composition comprising a polyether-based copolymer, wherein the copolymer dissolves in one or more of an alcohol and alcohol-water mixture. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a thin-film composite membrane comprising a porous support and a selective layer comprising a polyether-based copolymer, wherein the polyether-based copolymer dissolves in one or more of an alcohol and alcohol-water mixture. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method of capturing one or more chemical species comprising contacting a thin-film composite membrane with a fluid composition, wherein the fluid composition includes at least CO.sub.2 and capturing CO.sub.2 from the fluid composition. Embodiments of the present disclosure also describe methods of synthesizing copolymer compositions and methods of fabricating composite membranes.