Systems and methods are provided that obtain the same or better level of performance by using lower operating flow rates and pressures within the system. This extends the life of system components and lower energy consumption. In one embodiment, gas separation (or sieve) beds that are used to separate gaseous components are provided that have lower flow and pressure requirements compared to conventional beds. The sieve beds include, for example, a diffuser having low solid area in cross-section and maximum open area for flow while providing adequate mechanical properties to contain sieve material and support filter media. In another embodiment, systems and methods are provided having an indicator when a component has been serviced or repaired. This provides an indication whether the component has been tampered with in any manner. This allows the manufacturer to determine if the component was serviced, repaired, or tampered with outside the manufacturer's domain.

The present invention relates to the manufacturing of metal organic framework (MOF) containing composite materials, particularly membranes. The inventive process comprises the steps of a phase inversion polymer formation containing pores of precursor materials and in situ formation of MOFs. The invention further relates to new MOF containing membranes; to the use of such membranes in gas separation processes and to devices comprising such membranes.

An aluminophosphate-metal oxide bonded body including a metal oxide having a bonding surface on a part of the surface thereof, and aluminophosphate that is disposed on the bonding surface of the metal oxide, wherein an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or both of these is/are disposed on the bonding surface of the metal oxide, and the content rate of the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or both is from 0.3 to 30.0% by mass with respect to all of the substances that are disposed on the bonding surface of the metal oxide. An aluminophosphate-metal oxide bonded body that provides a favorable bonded state even for complicated shapes is provided.

A lithium-air battery includes a battery cell and a case configured to accommodate the battery cell. The case includes an inlet communicating with outside and an outlet communicating with outside. At least one of the inlet and the outlet is equipped with a gas separation membrane that includes a matrix including a polymer resin and a metal-organic framework (MOF) dispersed in the matrix. The gas separation membrane has a thickness of 150 μm or more.

A crystalline material contains oxygen, aluminum and phosphorus, and has powder X-ray diffraction peaks shown below. When the peak at 2θ=14.17±0.2° is used as the reference peak and the intensity of the reference peak is set to 100, for example, the relative intensity of the peak at 2θ=8.65±0.2° is 1 to 15. The relative intensity of the peak at 2θ=9.99±0.2° is 1 to 15. The relative intensity of the peak at 2θ=16.52±0.2° is 5 to 80. The relative intensity of the peak at 2θ=17.37±0.2° is 1 to 15. The relative intensity of the peak at 2θ=21.81±0.2° is 10 to 80.

A process of and apparatus for dehydrating an alcohol/water mixture may include pressurizing the mixture to at least 40 psig, heating the pressurized mixture to a temperature of at least 170° F., passing the heated and pressurized mixture through at least one Zeolite separator to produce separate streams of water and pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol, and using the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol to at least in part heat pressurized mixture and to cool the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol. At least some implementations may include cooling the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol to a temperature below its boiling point at atmospheric pressure. At least some implementations may include applying a vacuum to the water stream side of the Zeolite separator. At least some implementations may include cooling the stream of water to a temperature of less than about 200° F.

Disclosed herein are vapour-phase crosslin ked composite membranes in the form of crosslinked polymers and defined inorganic materials. The membranes disclosed herein may have a narrow pore size distribution and precise molecule separation ability and may be used for organic solvent nanofiltration and organic solvent reverse osmosis. Also disclosed herein are methods of forming the membranes, and filtration. In a preferred embodiment, the vapour-phase crosslinked composite membrane is obtained by exposing a composite membrane comprising polyimide and UiO-66-NH.sub.2 particles to an amine vapour.

The invention includes compositions and methods for promoting gas mixtures separations, such as a carbon dioxide and methane mixture. The composition of the invention is based on a curable polymerized room-temperature ionic liquid [poly(RTIL)].

M(SiF.sub.6)(pyz).sub.3 (M=Cu, Zn, Co, or Ni) has a pore size between a size of H.sub.2 and a size of CO.sub.2, and thus exhibits prominent screening performance for H.sub.2/CO.sub.2. A strong interaction between Cu(SiF.sub.6)(bpy).sub.2 and a CO.sub.2 molecule can hinder the transport of the CO.sub.2 molecule. The above two MOFs both can achieve the H.sub.2/CO.sub.2 separation. By preparing a dense MSiF.sub.6/polymer layer, MSiF.sub.6 is uniformly dispersed in the polymer and is fixed, and subsequently, MSiF.sub.6 is converted into M(SiF.sub.6)(pyz).sub.3 or Cu(SiF.sub.6)(bpy).sub.2 by interacting with an organic ligand. Through vapor-induced in-situ conversion, MOF particles can be well dispersed without interface defects between the MOF particles and the polymer. Even at a doping amount of 80%, the mechanical flexibility and stability of the MMM can still be retained.

A separation membrane complex includes a support, a separation membrane, and a coating membrane. The support includes a porous portion and a dense portion that are arranged continuously. The separation membrane is provided on the porous portion of the support. The separation membrane has an end portion that is in contact with the dense portion. The coating membrane is composed by a layered inorganic compound. The coating membrane coats a boundary portion between the dense portion and the separation membrane.