Provided is a method for separating a specific gas from a raw gas using a gas separation membrane module that includes a gas separation membrane element enclosed in a housing. The element includes a gas separation membrane including a hydrophilic resin composition layer. The method includes: preparing the module; increasing pressure in an interior of the module; increasing a temperature in the interior; and feeding a raw gas to the interior. The layer of the module prepared is adjusted to contain moisture, and a moisture content thereof is an amount that allows an equilibrium relative humidity at a temperature of 23 C. of a gas phase portion in the housing to be 10% RH or more. The raw gas feeding step is performed after the preparation step. The pressure increase step and the temperature increase step are performed after the preparation step and before the raw gas feeding step.

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.

A device including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a membrane permeable to neutral gases but impermeable to water that is positioned between the first chamber and the second chamber. The membrane includes a first layer including PVDF and PDMS, and the PVDF has a plurality of pores at least partially filled with at least some of the PDMS.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a separation membrane suitable for transferring a separation functional layer and an intermediate layer from a release liner to a porous support member. The manufacturing method of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a separation membrane 10 including a separation functional layer 1, a porous support member 3, and an intermediate layer 2. The manufacturing method includes: forming the intermediate layer 2 on a first laminate 15 having a release liner 5 and the separation functional layer 1; bonding the intermediate layer 2 of a second laminate 16 having the release liner 5, the separation functional layer 1, and the intermediate layer 2 in this order to the porous support member 3 and thereby forming a third laminate 17; and removing the release liner 5 from the third laminate 17. In the manufacturing method, the intermediate layer 2 is formed in such a manner that a ratio R of an adhesive strength A2 (N/50 mm) between the intermediate layer 2 and the porous support member 3 with respect to an adhesive strength A1 (N/50 mm) between the release liner 5 and the separation functional layer 1 is 3.1 or more.

Membranes, methods of making the membranes, and methods of using the membranes are described herein. The membranes can comprise a support layer, and a selective polymer layer disposed on the support layer. In some cases, the support layer can comprise a gas permeable polymer and hydrophilic additive dispersed within the gas permeable polymer. In some cases, the selective polymer layer can comprise a selective polymer matrix and carbon nanotubes dispersed within the selective polymer matrix. The membranes can exhibit selective permeability to gases. As such, the membranes can be for the selective removal of carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide from hydrogen and/or nitrogen.

The present invention provides for simple and rapid filtering of biological samples, whereby a sample can be analyzed in the same device or a different device. In one preferred example, a membrane filter 12 that is particularly useful for the filtration of samples comprising viruses along with other biological materials that need be separated from the viruses is used. A lateral flow device 10 incorporating a filter membrane/membrane filter 12 is also disclosed.

A dual-pathway system for CO.sub.2 capture in both acidified and basified streams is provided. The system may be embodied in an off-shore stand-alone facility to allow for the operation of oceanic CO.sub.2 capture to be more efficient and cost effective. Systems maintain high environmental standards by containing all intermediate acidic and alkaline solutions in a closed system so that the effluent discharged back into the ocean is at the similar pH and salinity as the feed oceanwater, with only CO.sub.2 removed. Acid and base produced by an electrodialyzer unit is used to achieve oceanwater decarbonization via gaseous CO.sub.2 removal and solid CaCO.sub.3 precipitates removal. The system is configured to require the processing of a very small fraction of the total oceanwater intake for the acid-base generation process.

The present invention relates to a bipolar ion exchange sheet and a manufacturing method therefor, the bipolar ion exchange sheet comprising: a cation exchange film comprising a cation adsorption sheet and a cation exchange coating layer formed on one side of the cation adsorption sheet; and an anion exchange film comprising an anion adsorption sheet and an anion exchange coating layer formed on one side of the anion adsorption sheet, wherein the cation exchange film and the anion exchange film are bonded so that the cation exchange coating layer and the anion exchange coating layer face each other.

Provided herein are compositions, CO.sub.2-permeable/selective membranes and related methods of making and using the membranes. Ionically cross-linked poly(ether)-based membranes were prepared for applications relating to CO.sub.2. These films were studied for their thermal curing behavior using DSC. The resulting free-standing membranes have T.sub.gs near 64 C., T.sub.dS up to 230 C., and Young's modulus up to 4.2 MPa. These membranes showed CO.sub.2 permeabilities of 84-110 Barrer and CO.sub.2/N.sub.2 selectivity of 20-40.

A semipermeable membrane according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a semipermeable membrane layer containing an amorphous resin as a main component, and a sheet-like supporting body that supports the semipermeable membrane layer. The supporting body has a porous first supporting layer and a porous second supporting layer laminated on one of surfaces of the first supporting layer. The second supporting layer has a smaller mean flow pore diameter than the first supporting layer. The second supporting layer is impregnated with the semipermeable membrane layer. A ratio of the mean flow pore diameter of the second supporting layer to the mean flow pore diameter of the first supporting layer is preferably 1/1,000 or more and 1/5 or less. The mean flow pore diameter of the first supporting layer is preferably 0.05 ?m or more and 20 ?m or less, and the mean flow pore diameter of the second supporting layer is preferably 0.01 ?m or more and 1 ?m or less.