An additive manufacturing method for producing a component having at least partially or at least locally a porous material structure includes providing a porous or porosable base material, applying the porous or porosable base material to build up the component, and adjusting a porosity of the porous or porosable base material during the applying.

Disclosed are a CMS membrane, characterized in that it is obtainable by pyrolysis of a polyimide composed of the monomers 1-(4-aminophenyl)-1,3,3-trimethyl-2H-inden-5-amine and 5-(1,3-dioxo-2-benzofuran-5-carbonyl-2-benzofuran-1,3-dione of the following formulae: ##STR00001##
preferably by pyrolysis of the polyimide having the CAS number 62929-02-6, and a supported CMS membrane comprising a CMS membrane obtainable from a polyimide by pyrolysis and a porous support, characterized in that a mesoporous intermediate layer is provided between the CMS membrane and the porous support. Further disclosed are a process for preparing the supported membrane, the use of the membranes for separating gas mixtures or liquid mixtures, an apparatus for gas separation or for liquid separation, and the use of the polyimide for preparing a CMS membrane by pyrolysis.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems, apparatus, and methods for fluid purification (e.g., water) with a ceramic membrane. For example, the present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to a cross-flow fluid filtration assembly comprising (a) membrane housing comprising a plurality of hexagonal prism shaped membranes (b) an inlet configured to receive the contaminated fluid and to channel a contaminated fluid to the first end of the plurality of hexagonal prism shaped membranes, and (c) an outlet configured to receive a permeate released from the second end of the plurality of hexagonal shaped membranes. The present disclosure also relates to a cross-flow fluid filtration module comprising a fluid path defined by a contaminated media inlet chamber, a fluid filtration assembly positioned in a permeate chamber and a concentrate chamber.

Disclosed herein is a gas separation section for separating a first gas from one or more other gasses in a separation device, the gas separation section comprising: a first membrane that is substantially planar; a second membrane that is substantially planar; a first substrate that has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the first substrate is on an opposite side of the first substrate than the first surface of the first substrate; a second substrate that has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the second substrate is on an opposite side of the second substrate than the first surface of the second substrate; and a mesh that is arranged between the second surface of the first substrate and the second surface of the second substrate; wherein: the first substrate and the second substrate are sintered plates; the first membrane is on the first surface of the first substrate; the second membrane is on the first surface of the second substrate; the first and second membranes are both permeable by at least a first gas and not permeable by one or more other gasses; the thickness of the first membrane in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the first membrane is less than 10 micrometres; and the thickness of the second membrane in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the second membrane is less than 10 micrometres. Embodiments provide an improved gas separation device over known techniques. Advantages of the separation device according to embodiment include improved performance, easy implementation, a modular design and a scalable design.

Described are porous sintered bodies and methods of making porous sintered bodies by steps that include an injection molding step.

Described herein is a technology for the creation of “smooth” metal oxide films or coatings using organic cross-linking agents to enable low-temperature sintering. These metal oxide films can be used in conjunction with low-melting temperature substrates, such as plastics, metal, metal oxide, and glass, providing exquisite control over surface roughness.

A filter for the filtration of a fluid, such as a liquid, includes or is constituted by a support element made from a porous ceramic material, at least a portion of the surface of the support element being covered with a porous membrane separating layer, the membrane separating layer being constituted essentially of silicon carbide (SiC), its porosity being between 10% and 70% by volume, the median diameter of its pores being between 50 nanometers and 500 nanometers, its mean thickness being between 1 micrometer and 30 micrometers, and its tortuosity being less than 1.7.

There is provided an inorganic hierarchical porous membrane comprising at least two layers, wherein each layer of the at least two layers comprises a different average pore size as compared to another layer of the at least two layers, and wherein the membrane comprises a patterned surface. There is also provided a method of forming the membrane.

A separator element comprising a porous rigid single-piece substrate (2) presenting firstly, at its periphery, a perimeter wall (2.sub.1) that is continuous between an inlet (4) for the fluid medium for treatment at one end of the porous substrate and an outlet (5) for the retentate at the other end of the porous substrate, and secondly, internally, a surface covered by a separator layer (6) and defining an open structure made up of empty spaces (3) for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment. The empty spaces (3) are arranged in the porous substrate so as to create within the porous substrate a first flow network (R1) for the fluid medium for treatment, having at least two interconnected flow circuits (R1.sub.1, R1.sub.2) for the fluid medium between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) of the porous substrate.

The Invention relates to a method for preparing a multichannel hollow fiber membrane. According to a certain ratio, ceramic powder, a macromolecular polymer, an organic solvent, and a dispersant are mixed evenly to prepare a membrane casting solution; and after bubble removing processing is performed on the membrane casting solution, a membrane green body is formed with the cooperation of a multichannel hollow fiber die and phase inversion. After the membrane green body is roasted at a high temperature, a multichannel ceramic hollow fiber membrane is formed. The multichannel ceramic hollow fiber membrane has an asymmetric structure and a skeleton structure in an inner cavity and can meet the strength and flux requirements of a ceramic hollow fiber membrane.