Disclosed are a ceramic membrane for water treatment using oxidation-treated SiC and a method for manufacturing the same. An object of the present invention is to manufacture a ceramic membrane for water treatment, which can be sintered at a low temperature of 1,050° C. or less, in which a SiO.sub.2 oxide layer formed during an oxidation process induces volume expansion so as to prevent defects due to the contraction of a coating layer during general sintering. The ceramic membrane for water treatment using the oxidation treated SiC includes a porous ceramic support layer; and a SiC layer formed on the porous ceramic support layer and including SiC particles on which a SiO.sub.2 oxide layer formed on a surface thereof.

The subject of the invention relates to a separating element comprising: an inorganic one-piece rigid porous support (2) having, on one side, a first outer planar surface (3) and, on an opposite side, a second outer planar surface (4); at least two circulation ducts (6) for the liquid medium that are formed in the porous support so as to each have a rectangular cross section; at least one internal connection system for the distribution (10) of the liquid medium in a series of circulation ducts, and at least one internal connection system for the collection (12) of the retentate coming from the series of circulation ducts, the internal connection system for the distribution (10), the circulation ducts (6) and the internal connection system for the collection (12) being provided with at least one separating layer continuously deposited between the inlet (11) and the outlet (13) of the porous support; and a collection system (7) for the permeate that has passed through the separating layer or layers.

Zeolite membrane sheets for separation of mixtures containing water are provided, as well as methods for making the same. Thin, but robust, zeolite membrane sheets having an inter-grown zeolite crystal film directly on a thin, less than 200 micron thick, porous support sheet free of any surface pores with a size above 10 microns. The zeolite membrane film thickness is less than about 10 microns above the support surface and less than about 5 microns below the support surface. Methods of preparing the membrane are disclosed which include coating of the support sheet surface with a seed coating solution containing the parent zeolite crystals with mean particle sizes from about 0.5 to 2.0 microns at loading of 0.05-0.5 mg/cm2 and subsequent growth of the seeded sheet in a growth reactor loaded with a growth solution over a temperature range of about 45 C. to about 120 C.

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.

A method is described of producing a catalyst-containing composite oxygen ion membrane and a catalyst-containing composite oxygen ion membrane in which a porous fuel oxidation layer and a dense separation layer and optionally, a porous surface exchange layer are formed on a porous support from mixtures of (Ln.sub.1xA.sub.x).sub.wCr.sub.1yB.sub.yO.sub.3 and a doped zirconia. Adding certain catalyst metals into the fuel oxidation layer not only enhances the initial oxygen flux, but also reduces the degradation rate of the oxygen flux over long-term operation. One of the possible reasons for the improved flux and stability is that the addition of the catalyst metal reduces the chemical reaction between the (Ln.sub.1xA.sub.x).sub.wCr.sub.1yB.sub.yO.sub.3 and the zirconia phases during membrane fabrication and operation, as indicated by the X-ray diffraction results.

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

A composite nanoporous metal membrane, a method of making same, and a method of using same to filter supercritical CO.sub.2 are provided. The method of making generally includes a) providing a sintered coarse porous layer; b) applying to an outer face of the coarse porous layer second metal particles; c) sintering to form a structure comprising coarse and intermediate layers; d) applying a suspension of third metal particles; e) drying the suspension of third particles; f) pressing the dried layer of third particles; and g) sintering to form a composite nanoporous metal membrane. The composite nanoporous metal membrane generally includes: a) a sintered coarse layer; b) an intermediate layer comprising first metal particles and second metal particles joined in a sintered structure which is sintered to the coarse layer; and c) a fine layer comprising third metal particles joined in a sintered structure which is sintered to the intermediate layer.

A hydrogen gas producing apparatus includes a porous body (100) and a mixed gas source (300). The porous body (100) is permeable to hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, and has a property of being more permeable to hydrogen gas than carbon dioxide gas. The mixed gas source (300) causes a mixed gas including carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas to flow into the porous body (100) under a condition that a pressure gradient represented by (P.sub.1P.sub.2)/L is below 50 MPa/m, where L represents the length of the porous body (100) in a direction in which the mixed gas permeates; P.sub.1 represents an inflow pressure of the mixed gas into the porous body (100); and P.sub.2 represents an outflow pressure thereof from the porous body (100).

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for treatment of produced water that combine a separation technique using an inorganic membrane (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) with an adsorption process using activated carbon in the membrane. In one embodiment, a water tank includes an inlet and an outlet, and the membrane is in fluid communication with the inlet. The tank is configured to receive a spent water stream that includes a contaminant. In operation, the spent water stream is contacted with the membrane so as to strip at least a portion of the contaminant from the spent water stream.

A filtration membrane is provided. It comprises a porous support substrate and a porous active layer on top of the support substrate, wherein the active layer is formed of a network of interconnected, randomly arranged ceramic splats with ceramic particles occupying interstices between the splats, and wherein free spaces between the particles define a network of interconnected pores extending through the thickness of the active layer. There are also provided a method of filtering a feed using the membrane and a method of manufacturing the membrane by suspension plasma spraying.