A method for producing a fluorosulfonyl group-containing compound to obtain a compound represented by the following formula 5 from a compound represented by the following formula 1 as a starting material and a method for producing a fluorosulfonyl group-containing monomer in which the fluorosulfonyl group-containing compound is used: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are a C.sub.1-3 alkylene group, and R.sup.F1 and R.sup.F2 are a C.sub.1-3 perfluoroalkylene group.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

A semi-porous composite membrane and a method of manufacturing the semi-porous composite membrane. The semi-porous composite membrane includes a base supporting substrate comprising α-Al.sub.2O.sub.3, an outer layer comprising silica, and an intermediate layer comprising crystalline fibers of boehmite, and at least one of a secondary metal oxide and a synthetic polymer, wherein the intermediate layer is disposed between the base supporting substrate and the outer layer. The crystalline fibers of boehmite are a length of 5-150 nm. The semi-porous composite membrane may be employed in membrane reactors.

Functionalized membranes for use in applications, such as electrodeionization, can be prepared simply and efficiently by contacting a conductive carbon nanotube and polymer membrane with a solution containing at least one electrochemically active and functional compound under conditions suitable for electrochemically depositing the electrochemically active and function compound on a surface of the membrane.

An electrochemical compressor utilizes an anion conducting layer disposed between an anode and a cathode for transporting a working fluid. The working fluid may include carbon dioxide that is dissolved in water and is partially converted to carbonic acid that is equilibrium with bicarbonate anion. An electrical potential across the anode and cathode creates a pH gradient that drives the bicarbonate anion across the anion conducting layer to the cathode, wherein it is reformed into carbon dioxide. Therefore, carbon dioxide is pumped across the anion conducting layer. The compressor may be part of a refrigeration system that pumps the working fluid in a closed loop through a condenser and an evaporator.

A polysulfone membrane is modified so that monomers are wafted onto the surface of the membrane. The polysulfone membranes can be grafted by contacting the membrane with a grafting solution and exposing the membrane to electromagnetic radiation, typically within the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. The monomers that are grafted are typically anionic or cationic. The grafted membranes can be used for filtering impurities, such as positively and negatively charged particles, from a liquid. Anionic membranes provide improved filtration of negatively charged impurities, while cationic membranes provide improved filtration of positively charged impurities.

A membrane for the purification of blood, or a dialysis membrane, in hollow-fiber membrane or flat membrane geometry, made of a composite assembled from at least a base membrane based on at least one polysulfone or a polyphenylsulfone with at least one pore-forming hydrophilic additive and at least one functional layer arranged on the base membrane, whereby the functional layer is formed from at least one polymeric polycationic bonding agent and at least one polymeric polyanion, whereby the base membrane is made of a material which is selected from: a polysulfone [PSU], a sulfonated polysulfone [SPSU], a polyethersulfone [PES], a sulfonated polyethersulfone [SPES], a polyphenylsulfone [PPSU], a sulfonated polyphenylsulfone [SPPSU]; and mixtures of these.

Disclosed is a method for removing hydrogen sulfide from natural gas. The method includes passing a natural gas feed including methane and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) through a membrane at normal operating conditions. The membrane is an asymmetric hollow fiber membrane or an asymmetric film composite membrane including a porous layer and a nonporous skin layer. The asymmetric hollow fiber membrane or the nonporous skin layer of the asymmetric film composite membrane plasticizes during the method by exposure to condensable gases with high critical temperature under the operating conditions. The membrane preferentially removes H2S over methane from the natural gas feed at a H2S/methane selectivity of from 7 to 40 when measured at 35° C. and 45 bar.

A thin micro-porous membrane sheet and filtering device using it is presented. The membrane sheet includes a thin porous metal sheet of thickness between 20 and 200 μm with a porous ceramic coating of thickness less than 25 μm on at least one of its surfaces. The porous metal sheet has mean pore sizes at micro and sub-micrometer level and has a surface substantially free of pores greater than 10 micrometers. The ceramic coating layer may be made of particles with a mean particle size in a range of 10 to 300 nm and contains certain sintering promoters. The ceramic coating is sintered with the metal sheet in non-oxidizing environment at lower temperatures than typical ceramic membranes. The thin membrane sheet is used to filter fine particulates from micrometers to nanometers from a liquid or gas stream. The thin membrane sheet may be assembled into a filter device having high surface area packing density and straight mini-flow channels.

Components, systems, and methods for producing highly hydrophilitic, functionalized inorganic filtration membranes, pre-treating organic and biological-containing waste waters for minimal membrane fouling and scaling when processed using such functionalized membranes, and use of such functionalized membranes of the present invention in filtration systems for separating such pre-treated waste waters, all with respect to optimal permeate production rates, purity of permeate and resistance to fouling and scale formation on the membranes.