The present invention provides a composition containing the following components (A)-(C): (A) an alkali metal compound, (B) a polymer having an acidic dissociative group, and (C) a compound having an acidic dissociative group and an amino group, and having β of more than 0.0 and less than 1.0 as calculated by the formula (I): β={amount (mol) of alkali metal in component (A)−amount (mol) of acidic dissociative group in component (B)}/amount (mol) of acidic dissociative group in component (C).

In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for distilling a fluid by exposing the fluid to a porous membrane that includes a surface capable of generating heat. In some embodiments, the heat generated at the surface propagates the distilling of the fluid by converting the fluid to a vapor that flows through the porous membrane and condenses to a distillate. In some embodiments, the surface capable of generating heat is associated with a photo-thermal composition that generates the heat at the surface by converting light energy from a light source to thermal energy. In some embodiments, the photo-thermal composition includes, without limitation, noble metals, semiconducting materials, dielectric materials, carbon-based materials, composite materials, nanocomposite materials, nanoparticles, hydrophilic materials, polymers, fibers, meshes, fiber meshes, hydrogels, hydrogel meshes, nanomaterials, and combinations thereof. Further embodiments pertain to methods of making the porous membranes of the present disclosure.

A membrane is described for purifying or separating hydrogen from a multi-component gas stream such as syngas. This membrane uses a molecular pre-treatment, a transition metal, fluorine containing polymer, carbon fibers and carbon matrix sintered on a supportive screen. The membrane may be a bilayer membrane comprised of a layer containing high surface area carbon and another layer containing lower surface area carbon.

Poly(amino acids) having hydrophilic side groups may be grafted onto active surfaces of polyamide composite membranes so as to confer fouling resistance. Polylysine, polyhistidine, polyarginine and their blends with polyglutamic acid may be grafted to membrane surfaces via amide linkages or via peroxide-induces bonding, modifying membrane surfaces behavior towards foulants.

A hand-carry gravity-driven water filter with high throughput and water disinfection performance is formed. Membranes used for this water filter can be fabricated using electrospun method and non-solvent induced phase inversion method. A novel composite membrane structure (interwoven composite structure) was designed for further enhances water permeability and mechanical strength. The composite membrane can be composed of nanofibers with different diameter from the same polymer or different polymers. Membrane porosity and surface pore size can be controlled. Silver nanoparticles can be in-situ loaded on the surface of the membranes. The developed filter is effective for removal of a wide range of contaminants (e.g., pathogens, suspended solids and heavy metals). The purification process can be carried out under the drive of gravity (with an option for mechanically-enhanced filtration) without electricity.

Provided is a method for preparing a gas separation membrane, the method including forming a porous layer by coating a hydrophilic polymer solution on a porous substrate; and forming an active layer by coating a composition for forming an active layer including a polymer of Chemical Formula 1 on the porous layer, ##STR00001## wherein in Chemical Formula 1, n is the number of a repeating unit, and is an integer of 500 to 3,000, and R1 to R5 are the same as or different from each other, and each independently is hydrogen, an alkyl group, or —(C═O)R6, and R6 is an alkyl group, wherein the polymer of Chemical Formula 1 is included in an amount from 1% by weight to 5% by weight based on the composition for forming an active layer, and a gas separation membrane prepared using the same.

A fluid circuit defining a flow path for a fluid from a fluid supply toward a process stage. The fluid circuit may include a plurality of operative components including a body portion and a plurality of tubing connector fittings. The operative components may be connected by a plurality of tubing segments. Each body portion may include a non-conductive fluoropolymer portion and an outer conductor that extends between each of the plurality of tubing connector fittings and that is unitary with the non-conductive fluoropolymer portion. The plurality of tubing segments may include a non-conductive fluoropolymer tubing portion and an axial strip of conductive polymer. The outer conductor of each body portion conductively connected with tubing segments connected thereto. Each of the connectors may include a bridging component for conductively connecting the respective outer conductor of the body portion to the strip of conductive polymer of the connecting tubing segments.

A ceramic filter 20 has a porous support formed from particles containing a metal oxide as a main component and a membrane layer coated on a surface of the porous support and formed from particles containing the same kind of metal oxide as that of the porous support, wherein the particles forming the membrane layer are loaded with a different kind of metal oxide from that of the particles forming the membrane layer.

The present invention provides a composition for a CO.sub.2 gas separation membrane containing: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide; a crosslinked polymer in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked; and a non-crosslinked polymer obtained by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof.

Provided is a priming method including a step of filling a priming liquid in a hollow-fiber membrane module in which hollow-fiber membranes are packed in a vessel having an inlet port, an outlet port, and a filtrate discharge port at a linear velocity of 20 cm/min or more and 550 cm/min or less through the inlet port or the outlet port in an amount of 15% or more relative to a volume of the hollow-fiber membrane module. According to the present invention, the effective filtration area at the time of cell suspension treatment is increased, and the recovery rate of cells and the filtration rate can be improved. Further, since the cell treatment can be completed while maintaining the closed environment, the obtained cells can be provided for therapeutic applications.