A dehydration method is a dehydration method for selectively separating water from a mixture that contains water, and the method includes a step of supplying the mixture to a supply side space of a separation membrane, and a step of making a pressure difference between the supply side space and a permeation side space of the separation membrane. The separation membrane includes a first zeolite membrane that faces the permeation side space and is constituted by a first zeolite and a second zeolite membrane that faces the supply side space and is adjacent to the first zeolite membrane. The second zeolite membrane is constituted by a second zeolite that has the same framework structure as framework of the first zeolite and has a lower Si/Al atom ratio than a Si/Al atom ratio of the first zeolite.

A package comprises an airtight container having an oxygen permeability of less than or equal to 15 ml/m.sup.2dMPa and water vapor permeability of less than or equal to 2 g/m.sup.2d, and a sub-nano membrane structure accommodated in the airtight container. The sub-nano membrane structure having a porous support and a sub-nano membrane. The sub-nano membrane formed on the porous support and having an average pore diameter of less than or equal to 1 nm.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a filtration membrane module with which is possible to improve the centrifugal separation effect of the primary-side flowpath during filtration, and the centrifugal separation effect of the area following the outer peripheral surface of the flowpath membrane element of the outer ring-shaped flowpath during backwash, and improve filtration efficiency and cleaning efficiency while curbing the accumulation of deposits on the membrane surface during filtration and during backwash. This filtration membrane module comprises: a membrane element equipped with a primary-side flowpath on the outside of a hollow cylindrical filtration surface; and a cylindrical housing positioned on the outside thereof. A flow adjuster is positioned inside the primary-side flowpath. A flow adjuster for backwash is positioned inside the secondary-side flowpath, which is an outer ring-shaped flowpath between the membrane element and the housing. The flow adjuster and the flow adjuster for backwash comprise spiral-shaped fins or the like in order to exhibit a centrifugal separation function in an area that follows the outer peripheral surface of the membrane element or the filtration surface.

A dehydration method is a dehydration method for selectively separating water from a mixture that contains water, and the method includes a step of supplying the mixture to a supply side space of a zeolite membrane having an ERI structure, and a step of making a pressure difference between the supply side space and a permeation side space of the zeolite membrane having an ERI structure.

A dehydration method is a dehydration method for selectively separating water from a mixture that contains water, using a zeolite membrane having an AFX structure, and the method includes a step of supplying the mixture to a supply side space of the zeolite membrane having an AFX structure, and a step of making a pressure difference between the supply side space and a permeation side space of the zeolite membrane having an AFX structure.

A system includes an engine and an exhaust conduit in communication with the engine. A water separation device has exhaust gas passageways in communication with the exhaust conduit. The water separation device has a substrate and a membrane on the substrate. The substrate has inner walls surrounding the exhaust gas passageways with at least one of the inner walls being common to at least two of the exhaust gas passageways. The membrane is between the exhaust gas passageways and the substrate and has capillary condensation pores extending from the exhaust gas passageways to the substrate.

The gas separation method is executed under a condition in which a partial pressure of a first gas (G1) in a feed gas that contains at least mutually different gases being the first gas (G1), a second gas (G2) and a third gas (G3) becomes less than or equal to the total pressure of a permeate-side space (S2) of a gas separation membrane (30). The gas separation method includes a step of causing flow of a sweep gas that contains at least the third gas (G3) into the permeate-side space (S2) of the gas separation membrane (30) while supplying a feed gas to a feed-side space (S1) of the gas separation membrane (30). The permeation rate of the first gas (G1) in the gas separation membrane (30) is greater than the permeation rate of the second gas (G2).

A system includes an engine and an exhaust conduit in communication with the engine. A water separation device has exhaust gas passageways in communication with the exhaust conduit. The water separation device has a substrate and a membrane on the substrate. The substrate has inner walls surrounding the exhaust gas passageways with at least one of the inner walls being common to at least two of the exhaust gas passageways. The membrane is between the exhaust gas passageways and the substrate and has capillary condensation pores extending from the exhaust gas passageways to the substrate.

A method for inspecting a separation membrane module has a sealing step for sealing a gas for inspection on a primary side of zeolite membrane. The dynamic molecular diameter for the gas for inspection is greater than 1.07 times the pore diameter in the zeolite membrane. The gas for inspection has the characteristic of having a rate of reduction for a CO.sub.2 gas permeation rate in the zeolite membrane of less than 10% when a separation membrane structure is allowed to stand for 60 minutes in the gas for inspection at 25 degrees C. and 0.1 MPaG.

A monolithic separation membrane structure comprises a substrate, a first support layer and a separation membrane. The substrate is composed of a porous material and including a plurality of through holes. The first support layer is formed on an inner surface of the plurality of through holes. The separation membrane arranged in the first support layer. The first support layer includes an aggregate material having alumina as a main component, an inorganic binder have titania as a main component, and a sintering additive having at least one of silica and magnesia as a main component.