The present invention relates to a spiral-wound filter module exhibiting almost no heavy metal leaching and a manufacturing method thereof, and specifically, to a spiral-wound filter module, which can be used as a filter for producing safe drinking water by substantially reducing the amount of a heavy metal leached when immersed in water, and a manufacturing method thereof.

A method of making a polymer membrane, the method including providing a first monomer solution having a first solvent, a second monomer solution having a second solvent, and a substrate having a surface, and including electrospraying the first monomer solution onto the substrate surface and electrospraying the second monomer solution onto the substrate surface to form the polymer membrane on at least a portion of the substrate surface.

A membrane includes a substrate having pores therethrough, and a first layer of graphene platelets supported by the substrate. The graphene platelets of the first layer at least partially fill the pores of the substrate.

Described herein is a crosslinked graphene based composite membrane that provides selective resistance to fluids solutes while providing water permeability, such as a selectively permeable membrane comprising a crosslinked graphene with a polyvinyl alcohol and silica-nanoparticle layer that can provide enhanced water separation. Also described herein are methods for making such membranes and methods of using the membranes for dehydrating or removing solutes from water.

A layered electroosmotic structure for transporting fluid by electroosmotic transport includes a porous layer; a first electrode located on a first side of the porous layer; and a second electrode located on a second side of the porous layer. The first electrode may include a first surface that faces the porous layer, wherein the first surface of the first electrode includes a region that is electrically insulating. The first electrode and/or the second electrode may not be in electrical contact with an edge region of the porous layer. Methods of manufacturing the layered electroosmotic structures are also provided.

The present invention relates to a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membrane comprised of at least one bilayer, wherein the bilayer is comprised of a layer of a polymeric polycation and a layer of a polymeric polyanion. Furthermore, present invention relates to methods for the production of these PEM membranes by layer-by-layer deposition and the use of these PEM membranes for the decontamination of liquids, preferably water.

This application is directed to new and/or improved MD and/or TD stretched and optionally calendered membranes, separators, base films, microporous membranes, battery separators including said separator, base film or membrane, batteries including said separator, and/or methods for making and/or using such membranes, separators, base films, microporous membranes, battery separators and/or batteries. For example, new and/or improved methods for making microporous membranes, and battery separators including the same, that have a better balance of desirable properties than prior microporous membranes and battery separators. The methods disclosed herein comprise the following steps: 1.) obtaining a non-porous membrane precursor; 2.) forming a porous biaxially-stretched membrane precursor from the non-porous membrane precursor; 3.) performing at least one of (a) calendering, (b) an additional machine direction (MD) stretching, (c) an additional transverse direction (TD) stretching, and (d) a pore-filling on the porous biaxially stretched precursor to form the final microporous membrane. The microporous membranes or battery separators described herein may have the following desirable balance of properties, prior to application of any coating: a TD tensile strength greater than 200 or 250 kg/cm2, a puncture strength greater than 200, 250, 300, or 400 gf, and a JIS Gurley greater than 20 or 50 s.

A bipolar membrane comprising a cation exchange mat of one or more cation exchange polymers, an anion exchange mat of one or more anion exchange polymers, and an internal 3D bipolar interface, disposed between the cation and anion exchange layers, including a mixture of at least one cation exchange polymer and at least one anion exchange polymer, such that an interface of the at least one cation exchange polymer and the at least one anion exchange polymer is the internal 3D bipolar interface that has a large area, and the at least one cation exchange polymer in the 3D bipolar interface is connected to the one or more cation exchange polymers of the cation exchange layer, and the at least one anion exchange polymer in the 3D bipolar interface is connected to the one or more anion exchange polymers of the anion exchange layer.

A system for producing steam includes a source of superheated water with superheated water output; a membrane filtration system in fluid communication with the superheated water output and including a membrane filter with a permeate side and an opposing retentate side. The membrane filter includes a separation membrane constructed to reject organic molecules. The system may be used for removing organic compounds, such as anti-corrosion agents or contaminants, from superheated water to produce steam. A method for producing steam includes directing a cross-flow of heated pressurized water including a first concentration of an organic compound across a membrane filter. The membrane filter includes a separation membrane constructed to reject the organic compound; and one or more support layers adjacent the separation membrane. A steam permeate including a second concentration of the organic compound is collected, where the second concentration is lower than the first.

In accordance with at least selected embodiments, a battery separator or separator membrane comprises one or more co-extruded multi-microlayer membranes optionally laminated or adhered to another polymer membrane. The separators described herein may provide improved strength, for example, improved puncture strength, particularly at a certain thickness, and may exhibit improved shutdown and/or a reduced propensity to split.