A separation membrane structure comprises a porous suppor, and a separation membrane formed on the porous support. The separation membrane has an average pore diameter of greater than or equal to 0.32 nm and less than or equal to 0.44 nm. The separation membrane includes addition of at least one of a metal cation or a metal complex that tends to adsorb nitrogen in comparison to methane.

A ceramic separation membrane structure in which a zeolite separation membrane formed on a ceramic porous body is repaired, and a repair method thereof. In the ceramic separation membrane structure, a zeolite separation membrane is disposed on a ceramic porous body, and defects of the zeolite separation membrane are repaired by zeolite repaired portions containing zeolite of structure different from the structure of zeolite of the zeolite separation membrane. The zeolite separation membrane and the zeolite repaired portions are made of a hydrophobic zeolite having a ratio of SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3=100 or more.

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 (GI), 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).

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) and a second gas (G2) becomes less than or equal to a 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 a third gas (G3) being a different gas from the first gas (G1) and the second gas (G2) 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 respectively of the second gas (G2) and the third gas (G3).

The present invention relates to a tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, said separator element having a monolithic rigid porous support (2) of rectilinear structure and having a single channel (3) arranged therein for passing the flow of the fluid medium for treatment, the outside surface (5) of the support presenting a profile that is constant. According to the invention, the monolithic rigid porous support (2) defines obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for filtering, which obstacles extend from the inside wall (3.sub.1) of said channel (3), are identical in material and porous texture to the support, and present continuity of material and of porous texture with the support, said obstacles (9) generating variations in the flow section of the channel.

The invention relates to a monolithic tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment, the element comprising a rectilinear rigid porous support (2) of three-dimensional structure having formed therein at least one channel (3) for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment in order to recover a filtrate at the peripheral surface of the support. The monolithic rigid porous support (2) includes obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for filtering on or in the inside wall(s)) of the channel(s), the obstacles presenting identity of material and of porous texture with the support, and also presenting continuity of material and of porous texture with the support.

The present invention relates to a tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, said separator element comprising a monolithic rigid porous support (2) of rectilinear structure with a plurality of channels (3) formed therein for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment between an inlet (6) and an outlet (7) for the retentate, in order to recover a filtrate from the outside surface (5) of the support.

According to the invention, the monolithic rigid porous support (2) defines obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for treatment, which obstacles extend from the inside walls (31) of said channels, are identical in material and porous texture to the support, and present continuity of material and of porous texture with the support, the obstacles (9) generating variations in the flow sections of the channels.

The present invention is concerned with the treatment of produced water, obtained from a chemically enhanced oil recovery process using viscosity-increasing polymeric compounds. Said treatment comprises particularly the steps of obtaining a produced water, from an oil-water mixture recovered from an oil-bearing formation, wherein the produced water comprises the viscosity-increasing polymeric compounds; and, of directing the produced water to a specific filtration device, and subjecting the produced water to filtration, for obtaining a retentate stream and a permeate stream. Said process allows particularly obtaining a permeate comprising the viscosity-increasing polymeric compounds, said permeate being substantially free of suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil.

A separation membrane structure comprising a porous support, a first glass seal, and a separation membrane. The porous support includes through-holes which connect a first end surface and a second end surface. The first glass seal is configured to cover the first end surface. The separation membrane is formed on an inner surface of the through-holes. The first glass seal has a first seal body part and a first extension part. The first seal body part is disposed on the first end surface. The first extension part is connected to the first seal body part and disposed on the inner surface of the through-holes. The separation membrane has a first connection part connected to the first extension part of the first glass seal. A first thickness of the first connection part is less than or equal to 10 microns, and less than or equal to 3.2 times a center thickness at a longitudinal center of the separation membrane.

A filtering element for the filtration of a fluid medium comprises a rigid porous support of cylindrical shape having a longitudinal central axis (A) and a plurality of channels for the circulation of the fluid medium to be filtered and collection of filtrate on the periphery of the support. The channels are arranged in the support parallel to its central axis central (A) and define at least three filtering zones which are distributed concentrically and separated from each other by a continuous porous zone. The mean thickness of the porous zone (Z.sub.1) closest to the central axis (A) is smaller than the mean thickness of the porous zone (Z.sub.n-1) the closest to the periphery of the support (1) and, in the direction moving away from the central axis (A) of the support towards its periphery, the mean thickness of a porous zone is either identical to the next or smaller.