Embodiments described herein relate generally to graphene oxide membranes for fluid filtration and more specifically to graphene oxide membranes having tunable permeability, rejection rate, and flux. Some embodiments of the graphene oxide membranes disclosed herein are characterized as having a flux of at least about 2.5×10.sup.−4 gallons per square foot per day per psi with a 1 wt % lactose solution at room temperature, and a lactose rejection rate of at least 50% with a 1 wt % lactose solution.

The present disclosure provides a carbon material including a carbon-containing layer having opening parts; and a solid body provided so as to cover the opening parts of the carbon-containing layer, in which the solid body has hole parts communicating with the opening parts.

The present disclosure relates to a ceramic graphene oxide nanofiltration membrane which is high in mechanical stability while having ion removal ability by alternately stacking GO and PEI on a ceramic nanomembrane by allowing a carboxyl group (—COOH) and an amine group (—NH.sub.2) to form a covalent bond in the presence of N-ethyl-N′-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), thereby forming an amide group (—CONH), and a method for manufacturing the same.

A fiber bundle contactor may include: a flow path defined by a conduit; a catalytic carbon fiber bundle disposed in the conduit; and an inlet allowing fluid flow into the flow path. A method may include: introducing into vessel a hydrocarbon comprising mercaptan sulfur, an aqueous caustic solution, and an oxidizer; reacting at least a portion of the mercaptan sulfur and the aqueous caustic solution to produce a mercaptide; and reacting the mercaptide and the oxidizer in the presence of a catalytic carbon fiber bundle to produce a disulfide oil.

The present disclosure relates to nanochannel plates for use in reverse osmosis systems and methods of their manufacture. An example nanochannel plate includes a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface and the second surface are parallel to a major flat of the nanochannel plate. The nanochannel plate also includes a plurality of channels. At least one channel includes a carbon nanotube having a first end opening proximate to the first surface and a second end opening proximate to the second surface. Optionally, a core portion of the carbon nanotube could be configured to transport water from the first surface to the second surface or vice versa. Optionally, the core portion of the carbon nanotube has a core diameter of less than or equal to 0.7 nanometers.

Methods herein disclosed include methods of producing a nanoporous membrane by coating a planar substrate (204) with a solution (solution tank 201) containing a reactive metal adatom. The coated planar substrate can then be perforated by initiating a redox reaction between the reactive metal adatom and the planar substrate that causes the reactive metal adatom to remove material, forming nanoscale pores in the planar substrate that result in a nanoporous planar material. This nanoporous planar material can be formed into a nanoporous membrane.

A solar-thermal vapor-permeation membrane is provided. The solar-thermal vapor-permeation membrane includes a thermally conductive, microporous support layer having a feed surface, and an active separation layer adjacent the feed surface of the support layer. The support layer is capable of absorbing solar-thermal radiation. Utilization of solar energy for a membrane separation process replaces fossil-fuel derived energy with renewable energy as the driving force and does not involve the generation of undesirable greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the solar-thermal vapor-permeation process using the provided membrane is cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly.

A method for purifying dye-containing wastewater based on a porous-polymer-modified metal carbon nanotube membrane includes: (1) preparing the porous-polymer-modified metal carbon nanotube membrane; and (2) passing the dye-containing wastewater through the porous-polymer-modified metal carbon nanotube membrane to remove dyes in the dye-containing wastewater. A device for purifying dye-containing wastewater is also disclosed. The device includes the porous-polymer-based metal carbon nanotube membrane.

A method for preparing a porous-polymer-modified metal carbon nanotube membrane includes: preparing an acidified carbon nanotube membrane; preparing a modification solution; heating the acidified carbon nanotube membrane in the modification solution and reacting to obtain a metal carbon nanotube membrane; conducting a polymerization reaction to obtain a crude polymer product; coating the metal carbon nanotube membrane with a polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDEG) solution; coating the metal carbon nanotube membrane with a porous polymer solution; and heating the metal carbon nanotube membrane to obtain the porous-polymer-modified metal carbon nanotube membrane. A porous-polymer-modified metal carbon nanotube membrane is prepared according to this method.

A membrane distillation (MD) system consisting of a membrane module and carbon nanotube immobilized membrane for organic solvent separation is disclosed. The MD module includes a feed inlet and outlet, a sweep gas inlet, and a sweep gas outlet. Thermostats are positioned at the feed inlet and outlet to measure the change in temperature. Preferential sorption of the organic on carbon nanotube immobilized membrane contributes to enhanced solvent removal of the MD system. A pervaporation (PV) system consisting of a membrane module and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixed matrix membranes with graphene oxide (GO)—carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for enhanced purification of the alcohol solution after membrane distillation to remove trace amount of water is disclosed.