Membranes are provided for use in reverse osmosis applications. Such membranes include a nanofibrous scaffold in combination with a barrier layer. The barrier layer is formed of a polymeric matrix having functionalized cellulose nanofibers incorporated therein. The membranes may, in embodiments, also include a substrate.

A polyamide (PA) nanofiltration (NF) membrane and a preparation method thereof by regeneration from a scrapped microfiltration (MF) membrane are provided. The method adopts a cleaning-repairing-interfacial polymerization upgrading strategy, where, sodium hypochlorite and oxalic acid are used for deeply cleaning a scrapped MF membrane. PDA is used as a repairing agent to construct a reaction platform on the membrane surface, and finally a reaction system of piperazine and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) are used to form a PA NF membrane with a PA active layer. The repairing can construct a coating with a given thickness and prominent hydrophilicity on the membrane surface, which provides favorable base membrane conditions for upgrading and preparing an NF membrane.

A polyamide (PA) nanofiltration (NF) membrane and a preparation method thereof by regeneration from a scrapped microfiltration (MF) membrane are provided. The method adopts a cleaning-repairing-interfacial polymerization upgrading strategy, where, sodium hypochlorite and oxalic acid are used for deeply cleaning a scrapped MF membrane. PDA is used as a repairing agent to construct a reaction platform on the membrane surface, and finally a reaction system of piperazine and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) are used to form a PA NF membrane with a PA active layer. The repairing can construct a coating with a given thickness and prominent hydrophilicity on the membrane surface, which provides favorable base membrane conditions for upgrading and preparing an NF membrane.

The invention relates to a vapor retarder membrane, intended to be used for improving the airtightness of a building or of a room, comprising at least one active layer having a water vapor permeability which increases with the surrounding relative humidity, said active layer comprising at least 90% by weight of a blend of ethylene/vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer and of a copolyamide 6-6.6 (PA666), the latter having a melting point below 210° C.

The invention relates to a vapor retarder membrane, intended to be used for improving the airtightness of a building or of a room, comprising at least one active layer having a water vapor permeability which increases with the surrounding relative humidity, said active layer comprising at least 90% by weight of a blend of ethylene/vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer and of a copolyamide 6-6.6 (PA666), the latter having a melting point below 210° C.

Disclosed herein is a composite hollow fiber polymer membrane including a porous core layer and a selective sheath layer. The porous core layer includes a polyamide-imide polymer, or a polyetherimide polymer, and the selective sheath layer includes a polyimide polymer, which is prepared from monomers A, B, and C. The monomer A is a dianhydride of the formula ##STR00001##
wherein X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are independently halogenated alkyl group, phenyl or halogen and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, and R.sub.6 are independently H, alkyl, or halogen. The monomer B is a diamino cyclic compound without a carboxylic acid functionality and the monomer C is a diamino cyclic compound with a carboxylic acid functionality. The polyimide polymer further includes covalent ester crosslinks. Also disclosed herein is a method of making the composite polymer membrane and a process for purifying natural gas utilizing the composite polymer membrane.

Disclosed herein is a composite hollow fiber polymer membrane including a porous core layer and a selective sheath layer. The porous core layer includes a polyamide-imide polymer, or a polyetherimide polymer, and the selective sheath layer includes a polyimide polymer, which is prepared from monomers A, B, and C. The monomer A is a dianhydride of the formula ##STR00001##
wherein X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are independently halogenated alkyl group, phenyl or halogen and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, and R.sub.6 are independently H, alkyl, or halogen. The monomer B is a diamino cyclic compound without a carboxylic acid functionality and the monomer C is a diamino cyclic compound with a carboxylic acid functionality. The polyimide polymer further includes covalent ester crosslinks. Also disclosed herein is a method of making the composite polymer membrane and a process for purifying natural gas utilizing the composite polymer membrane.

A process for separating carbon dioxide from a fluid containing carbon dioxide, NO.sub.2, and at least one of oxygen, argon, and nitrogen comprises the steps of separating at least part of the fluid into a carbon dioxide enriched stream, a carbon dioxide depleted stream comprising CO.sub.2 and at least one of oxygen, argon, and nitrogen and a NO.sub.2 enriched stream and recycling said NO.sub.2 enriched stream upstream of the separation step.

The present invention provides a high-flux polyamide composite membrane, which includes a composite membrane body, wherein the composite membrane body includes a non-woven fabric, a porous supporting layer and a polyamide layer which are successively arranged; and the polyamide layer is prepared by a polyamine solution and a poly-acyl chloride solution through an interface polymerization reaction, wherein the polyamine solution contains amino acid. The amino acid adopted in the technical solution of the present invention can be used as an end-capping reagent to react with acyl chloride groups, thereby regulating a polyamide layer structure, decreasing a cross-linking degree of the polyamide layer, and opening a channel for the passing of water molecules; and moreover, the hydrophilic performance of a membrane surface can also be improved, and a water flux is increased while a high interception rate is ensured.

The present invention provides a high-flux polyamide composite membrane, which includes a composite membrane body, wherein the composite membrane body includes a non-woven fabric, a porous supporting layer and a polyamide layer which are successively arranged; and the polyamide layer is prepared by a polyamine solution and a poly-acyl chloride solution through an interface polymerization reaction, wherein the polyamine solution contains amino acid. The amino acid adopted in the technical solution of the present invention can be used as an end-capping reagent to react with acyl chloride groups, thereby regulating a polyamide layer structure, decreasing a cross-linking degree of the polyamide layer, and opening a channel for the passing of water molecules; and moreover, the hydrophilic performance of a membrane surface can also be improved, and a water flux is increased while a high interception rate is ensured.