Porous filters having uniform pore size and close packing density are described, along with methods and apparatus for making the porous filters based on nanopatterning. One method includes applying a polymeric liquid to a mold consisting of an array of posts having a desired pore size and distribution. Solidification of polymeric membrane followed by separation from the mold produces a polymer membrane with a predetermined spaced array of pores. A pre-filter film can also be bonded with the membrane during formation to provide increased mechanical support and filtration of larger particles on the input side of the filter. Other process variants are described, including methods for incorporating additional functionalities to the filter.

Novel low-pressure nanofiltration membrane composites for rejecting organic compounds are prepared by interfacial polymerization on a microporous hollow fiber supporting membrane. The interfacial polymerization reaction is carried out using an essentially monomeric polyamine reactant having at least two amine functional groups per molecule, and an essentially monomeric amine-reactive polyfunctional aromatic or cycloaliphatic acyl halide having at least two acyl halide groups per molecule. The composite can be fabricated by stepwise polymerization reactions with different reactant recipes at each step.

A method for the repair of defects in a graphene or other two-dimensional material through interfacial polymerization.

A method for manufacturing a porous device (10) is described. The method comprises creating (340) a carbon nanomembrane (40) on a top surface (22) of a base material (20) having latent pores (23) and etching (360) the latent pores (23) in the base material (20) to form open pores (24). The porous device (10) can be used as a filtration device.

A lithium extraction composite comprising: (i) a porous support and (ii) particles of a lithium-selective sorbent material coated on at least one surface of the support, wherein the support has a planar membrane, fiber (or rod), or tubular shape. A method for extracting and recovering a lithium salt from an aqueous solution by use of the above-described composition is also described, the method comprising (a) flowing the aqueous source solution through a first zone or over a first surface of the lithium extraction composite to result in selective lithium intercalation in the lithium-selective sorbent material in the first zone or first surface; and (b) simultaneously recovering lithium salt extracted in step (a) from said lithium-selective sorbent material by flowing an aqueous stripping solution through a second zone or over a second surface of the lithium extraction composite in which lithium ions from the first zone or first surface diffuse.

A separation module including at least one separation leaf that includes two porous composite membranes and a permeate mesh spacer sandwiched therebetween with and an edge-seal bond that adheres the membranes and spacer together.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a water treatment separation membrane, the method including: forming an aqueous solution layer including an amine compound on a porous support; and bringing an organic solution including an acyl halide compound into contact with on the aqueous solution layer to form a polyamide active layer, in which the organic solution includes a non-polar solvent and an amphiphilic solvent having a boiling point of 120° C. or more, thereby improving a permeation flux, and a water treatment separation membrane manufactured by the manufacturing method.

A preparation method of separation membrane is provided. First, a polyimide composition including a dissolvable polyimide, a crosslinking agent and a solvent is provided. The dissolvable polyimide is represented by formula 1:

##STR00001## wherein B is a tetravalent organic group derived from a tetracarboxylic dianhydride containing aromatic group, A is a divalent organic group derived from a diamine containing aromatic group, A′ is a divalent organic group derived from a diamine containing aromatic group and carboxylic acid group, and 0.1≦X≦0.9. The crosslinking agent is an aziridine crosslinking agent, an isocyanate crosslinking agent, an epoxy crosslinking agent, a diamine crosslinking agent, or a triamine crosslinking agent. A crosslinking process is performed on the polyimide composition. The polyimide composition which has been subjected to the crosslinking process is coated on a substrate to form a polyimide membrane. A wet phase inversion process is performed on the polyimide membrane.

System, devices, and method for the production of thin film composite hollow fiber membranes on a hollow fiber support structure. The system includes a comb and roller device, or comb and dual roller device, which can be used to define a submerged travel path in a first solution bath for a hollow fiber. The combs and rollers control the amount of time the hollow fiber spends in the first solution. The first solution contains a first monomer, and the hollow fiber is impregnated with the first monomer. The amount of impregnation depends on the time spent in the first solution. Subsequent immersion in a second solution containing a second monomer results in the formation of a thin film composite hollow fiber membrane.

A method for making metal organic frameworks (MOFs) includes the step of dissolving metal salts in deionized water to form first solution, followed by adding a cyclic propyl phosphonic anhydride reagent to the first solution to form a second solution. The second solution is heated to form a reaction mixture containing MOF crystals, and is then cooled. The MOF crystals are filtered therefrom, washed and dried. To make metal organic framework-based thin film nanocomposite membranes, the MOF crystals are mixed with an m-phenylene diamine aqueous solution to form a mixture, which is then poured on a top surface of an ultrafiltration membrane substrate to form a first intermediate membrane structure. The first intermediate membrane structure is dried, and trimesolyl chloride in n-hexane solution is poured thereon to form a second intermediate membrane structure, which is cured to form an MOF-based thin film nanocomposite membrane, which is then rinsed and dried.