Provided herein are in situ methods for fabricating a mixed-matrix membrane or a mixed-matrix hollow fiber membrane for increasing formation of zeolitic imidazolate framework nanoparticles inside the mixed-matrix membrane. Generally, in the method a polyimide polymer coated onto at least one support is hydrolzed with a base and the poly(amic acid)-salt film formed thereby undergoes ion exchange with a metal ion, treatment of the formed poly(amic acid)-metal salt film with an organic linker to produce metal-organic framework nanoparticles in situ, and imidization of the treated poly(amic acid)-metal salt film produces a polyimide/metal-organic framework mixed-matrix membrane or a mixed-matrix hollow fiber membrane module. Also provided is the mixed-matrix membrane and the polymer mixed-matrix hollow fiber membrane module fabricated by the methods and methods for separating a binary gas mixture via the fabricated mixed-matrix membrane.

An evaporative cooling system includes a porous ceramic body with a plurality of dry channels and a plurality of wet channels. The plurality of dry channels are configured to inhibit transfer of water vapor into the dry channels and include a barrier layer that includes a roughened layer with a features size less than 1000 nm and a hydrophobic chemical modification disposed on the roughened layer. The plurality of wet channels are configured to allow transfer of water vapor.

A method of treating a switchable polarity material comprises introducing a first feed stream comprising a solvent and a non-polar form of the switchable polarity material to a first side of a gas diffusion membrane. A second feed stream comprising an acid gas is introduced to a second side of the gas diffusion membrane opposing the first side of the gas diffusion membrane. Molecules of the acid gas of the second feed stream are diffused across the gas diffusion membrane and into the first feed stream to form a product stream comprising a polar form of the switchable polarity material. A treatment system for a switchable polarity material, and a method of liquid treatment are also described.

The present invention relates to a CO.sub.2 selective gas separation membrane and a method for preparing the gas separation membrane and the use thereof. The CO.sub.2 selective gas separation membrane comprises a gas permeable or porous support layer; and at least one gas permeable polymer layer, which is surface modified with polymer chains having CO.sub.2 philic groups, wherein the gas permeable polymer layer has a spatially controlled distribution of the CO.sub.2 philic groups on the surface thereof. The method of preparing the CO.sub.2 selective gas separation membrane, comprises the steps of: depositing at least one gas permeable polymer layer on a porous or gas permeable support layer to form a dense membrane, and surface modifying the dense membrane with polymer chains having CO.sub.2 philic groups, to obtain spatially controlled distribution of the CO.sub.2 philic groups on the surface thereof.

A filter for the filtration of a fluid, such as a liquid, includes or composed of a support element made of a porous ceramic material, the element having a tubular or parallelepipedal shape delimited by an external surface and including, in its internal portion, a set of adjacent channels with axes parallel to one another and separated from one another by walls of the porous inorganic material, wherein at least a portion of the channels and/or at least a portion of the external surface are covered with a porous separating membrane layer, wherein the layer is made of a material essentially composed of sintered grains of silicon carbide (SiC), and the weight content of elemental oxygen of the layer is less than 0.5%.

The present invention relates to a radiation-resistant microporous membrane having a hydrophobicity gradient, to a method for the preparation thereof, and to the use of the membrane in the sterilizing filtration of gaseous fluids or as a liquid barrier in liquid-containing systems to be vented.

This disclosure relates to membranes containing a polymer containing crown ether monomer units and a guest compound capable of binding thereto. This disclosure also relates to methods for making the membranes, and to methods for using the membranes for gas separation applications.

Membranes comprising graphene oxide sheets and associated filter media and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a membrane may comprise graphene oxide sheets that have undergone one or more chemical treatments. The chemical treatment(s) may impart beneficial properties to the membrane, such as a relatively small d-spacing, compatibility with a broad range of environments, physical stability, and charge neutrality. For example, the graphene oxide sheets may undergo one or more chemical treatments that form chemical linkages between at least a portion of the graphene oxide sheets in the membrane. Such chemical linkages may impart a small d-spacing, broad compatibility, and/or allow relatively thick membranes to be formed. In certain embodiments, the graphene oxide sheets may undergo one or more chemical treatment that imparts relative charge neutrality to the membrane by altering the ionizability of certain functional groups. Graphene oxide membranes, described herein, can be used for a wide range applications.

Disclosed is the preparation of composite membranes formed by a tailored selective chemical modification of an ultra-thin nanoporous surface layer of a semi-crystalline mesoporous poly (aryl ether ketone) membrane with graded density pore structure. The composite separation layer is synthesized in situ on the poly (aryl ether ketone) substrate surface and is covalently linked to the surface of the semi-crystalline mesoporous poly (aryl ether ketone) membrane. Hollow fiber configuration is the preferred embodiment of forming the functionalized the poly (aryl ether ketone) membranes. Composite poly (aryl ether ketone) membranes of the present invention are particularly useful for a broad range of fluid separation applications, including organic solvent ultrafiltration and nanofiltration to separate and recover active pharmaceutical ingredients.

A pervaporation membrane may be an acid-resistant polybenzidimazole (PBI) membrane. The acid-resistant PBI membrane may be a PBI membrane chemically modified by a process selected from the group consisting of sulfonation, phosphonation, cross-linking, N-substitution, and/or combinations thereof. The membrane may be thermally stabilized. A method for the dehydration of an acid material may include the steps of: contacting an acidic aqueous solution with a membrane of an acid-resistant polybenzidimazole; taking away a permeate stream rich in water; and taking away a concentrate steam rich in the acid material. The acidic aqueous solution may be acetic acid.