An inorganic structure body has a free-standing structure including a fibrous member and/or a shell. The fibrous member and/or the shell include a metal and/or an inorganic material and have a three-dimensionally continuous configuration. The free-standing structure may have a structure that is based on a nonwoven fabric or a porous membrane used as a substrate.

A method for making a porous inorganic membrane comprises using a mixture of an inorganic material, organic polymer particles and a solvent to form a slurry. The particles are non-spherical. The method further comprises distributing the slurry onto a surface, drying the slurry to remove the solvent and firing the dried slurry to produce the porous inorganic membrane. Examples of organic polymer particles include particles of acrylic. A substrate comprises a support with a porous inorganic membrane disposed on the support. The inorganic membrane has an average thickness of from about 0.5 micron to about 30 microns, a porosity of from about 30% to about 65%, a median pore size (d50) of from about 0.01 micron to about 1 micron, and a value of (d90?d10)/d50 less than about 2, as measured by mercury porosimetry. An example of a support includes an inorganic porous support.

A method for the manufacture of ceramic hollow fiber membranes in a spinning process by using a spinning mass, comprising the steps: providing a spinning mass formulation; providing a secondary phase; adding the secondary phase to the spinning mass formulation; manufacturing the ceramic hollow fiber membranes in a spinning process.

A transfer line between the outlet of a steam cracker and the inlet for the quench system has metallic or ceramic inserts having a pore size from about 0.001 to about 0.5 microns inside the line forming a gas tight barrier with the inner surface of the line and having a vent for the resulting gas tight pocket are used to separate H.sub.2, CH.sub.4, CO and CO.sub.2 from cracked gases reducing the load on the down-stream separation train of the steam cracker.

A system includes an engine and an exhaust conduit in communication with the engine. A water separation device has exhaust gas passageways in communication with the exhaust conduit. The water separation device has a substrate and a membrane on the substrate. The substrate is monolithic and extends around the exhaust gas passageways. The membrane is between the exhaust gas passageways and the substrate and has capillary condensation pores extending from the exhaust gas passageways to the substrate.

Described are silicon carbide filters for use with liquid metals such as liquid tin, as well as methods of using such a filter to remove particles from the liquid metal, and systems and processes that use the filtered liquid metal.

A monolithic membrane filter for the filtration of liquids includes a support formed from a porous inorganic material of permeability K.sub.s, the support exhibiting a tubular shape having a main axis, an upstream base, a downstream base, a peripheral surface and an internal portion; channels parallel to the main axis of the support, formed in the internal portion of the support, the channels separated from one another by internal walls formed from the porous inorganic material; a formed in the internal portion of the support and opening onto the peripheral surface so that the filter has an external surface formed by the peripheral surface of the support and the surface of said at least one slot; and a membrane of permeability K.sub.m and of mean thickness t.sub.m covering the internal surface of the channels.

The present disclosure is directed to biomimetic membranes and methods of manufacturing such membranes that include structural features that mimic the structures of cellular membrane channels and produce membrane designs capable of high selectivity and high permeability or absorptivity. The membrane structure, material and chemistry can be selected to perform liquid separations, gas separation and capture, ion transport and adsorption for a variety of applications.

Provided are monolithic structures comprising one or more suspended, nanoporous membranes that are in contact with one or more fluidic cavities, methods of making same, and exemplary uses of same. The monolithic structures can be formed using a transmembrane etch. The monolithic structures can be used, as examples, as filters and filtration modules in microfluidic devices, dialysis devices, and concentration devices in laboratory, industrial, and medical processes.

A transfer line between the outlet of a steam cracker and the inlet for the quench system has metallic or ceramic inserts having a pore size from about 0.001 to about 0.5 microns inside the line forming a gas tight barrier with the inner surface of the line and having a vent for the resulting gas tight pocket are used to separate H.sub.2, CH.sub.4, CO and CO.sub.2 from cracked gases reducing the load on the down-stream separation train of the steam cracker.