The present invention relates to an acid-resistant nanomembrane with an improved flow rate and a method of producing the acid-resistant nanomembrane, and more particularly, to an acid-resistant nanomembrane with an improved flow rate, which can also be used under strong-acid and high-temperature conditions for the recovery of rare metals, valuable metals, and the like generated in a smelting process and which exhibits both excellent flow rate and excellent acid resistance, and a method of producing the acid-resistant nanomembrane.

Disclosed are compositions that may be useful for forming synthetic membranes, methods of forming membranes therefrom, and membranes. In an embodiment, a membrane comprises a free hydrophilic polymer comprising a polyoxazoline, and a polyurethane, the polyurethane comprising a backbone comprising the reaction product of a diisocyanate, a polymeric aliphatic 5 diol, and optionally a chain extender.

Disclosed are compositions that may be useful for forming synthetic membranes, methods of forming membranes therefrom, and membranes. In an embodiment, a membrane comprises a free hydrophilic polymer comprising a polyoxazoline, and a polyurethane, the polyurethane comprising a backbone comprising the reaction product of a diisocyanate, a polymeric aliphatic 5 diol, and optionally a chain extender.

A method of producing a hollow fiber membrane having an outside coating with a thin film composite (TFC) layer with a transmembrane protein, the method including the steps of: preparing an aqueous solution including a self-assembled nanostructure including polyalkyleneimine (PAI) and a detergent solubilized transmembrane protein and a di- or triamine, preparing an apolar solution including a di- or triacyl halide in an apolar organic solvent, contacting a hollow fiber membrane with the either the solution according to step a) or the solution according to step b), removing excess solution if any, contacting the hollow fiber membrane with the other solution, allowing an interfacial polymerization reaction to take place, and rinsing the hollow fiber membrane with an aqueous solvent. The hollow fiber is applicable e.g. for extracting water from the product solution.

The invention provides a filtration membrane which comprises a porous support and, covalently bonded to a surface thereof, a layer comprising a plurality of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer; characterised in that within said layer, vesicles are covalently linked together to form a coherent mass. The membrane may be prepared by a process which comprises providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of a porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between different vesicles and between vesicles and said surface.

The invention provides a filtration membrane which comprises a porous support and, covalently bonded to a surface thereof, a layer comprising a plurality of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer; characterised in that within said layer, vesicles are covalently linked together to form a coherent mass. The membrane may be prepared by a process which comprises providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of a porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between different vesicles and between vesicles and said surface.

Separation of linear and branched alkane isomers via selective permeation through a composite membrane is disclosed. The separation layer in the composite membrane is fabricated from a blend of at least two different fluoropolymer compositions, A and B, in which composition A has a normal-alkane isomer permeability that is greater than composition B. Composition B has a normal alkane to branched-alkane isomer selectivity that is equal or greater than composition A. The separation layer in the composite membrane has a normal-alkane permeability that is greater than composition B and a normal-alkane to branched alkane isomer selectivity that is greater than composition A.

Separation of linear and branched alkane isomers via selective permeation through a composite membrane is disclosed. The separation layer in the composite membrane is fabricated from a blend of at least two different fluoropolymer compositions, A and B, in which composition A has a normal-alkane isomer permeability that is greater than composition B. Composition B has a normal alkane to branched-alkane isomer selectivity that is equal or greater than composition A. The separation layer in the composite membrane has a normal-alkane permeability that is greater than composition B and a normal-alkane to branched alkane isomer selectivity that is greater than composition A.

A vesicle in a liquid composition including an amphiphilic diblock copolymer of the PMOXA.sub.a-bPDMS.sub.c-d type as vesicle membrane forming material, further including as an additive from about 0.05% to about 1% v/v of reactive end group functionalised PDMS.sub.e-f, and a transmembrane protein. The vesicle optionally includes about 1 to about 12% v/v of triblock copolymer of the PMOXA.sub.a-b-PDMS.sub.c-d-PMOXA.sub.a-b type as membrane forming material.

A method of production of a channel member for fuel cell use comprising a step of obtaining a sheet-shaped first conductor part 11 containing a carbon material of at least one of carbon nanotubes, granular graphite, and carbon fibers and a first resin, a step of laying a sheet-shaped second conductor part 21 containing a carbon material and a second resin with a lower melting point than the first resin to form a sheet-shaped base part 13, a step of transferring a grooved surface 51 to a surface to form a grooved base part 16 provided with groove part 15, a step of laying a sheet-shaped third conductor part 31 containing a carbon material and a third resin with a lower melting point than the first resin, and a step of integrally joining the grooved base part and the third conductor part by hot melt bonding to cover the groove parts.