Provided are certain membranes useful in the filtration of liquids and removal of various contaminants therein. In certain aspects the membranes have as one component a polyamide such as Nylon 11 and/or Nylon 12. Also provided is methodology for manufacturing such membranes and their use in filtration and purification of liquids. Membranes of the disclosure thus prepared exhibit superior acid stability when compared to polyamide membranes prepared from Nylon 6 or Nylon 6,6.

Composite materials for removing hydrophobic components from a fluid include a porous matrix polymer, carbon nanotubes grafted to surfaces of the porous matrix polymer, and polystyrene chains grafted to the carbon nanotubes. Examples of porous matrix polymer include polyurethanes, polyethylenes, and polypropylenes. Membranes of the composite material may be enclosed within a fluid-permeable pouch to form a fluid treatment apparatus, such that by contacting the apparatus with a fluid mixture containing water and a hydrophobic component, the hydrophobic component absorbs selectively into the membrane. The apparatus may be removed from the fluid mixture and reused after the hydrophobic component is expelled from the membrane. The composite material may be prepared by grafting functionalized carbon nanotubes to a porous matrix polymer to form a polymer-nanotube composite, then polymerizing styrene onto the carbon nanotubes of the polymer-nanotube composite.

The present invention relates to surface modifying agents for polymeric and/or textile materials, methods of making and/or using a surface modifying agent to modify and functionalize polymeric and/or textile materials, and/or methods of using surface modified or functionalized polymeric and textile materials, and/or products using or incorporating surface modified or functionalized polymeric and textile materials. For example, the surface modifying agent in precursor form can be styrene sulfonyl azide monomer, polymer or copolymer capable of undergoing a chemical reaction in the presence of heat or light to form one or more styrene sulfonated nitrene monomers, polymers or copolymers, which are capable of chemically reacting with the surface of a polymeric or textile material to endow a specific or desired chemical surface functionality to the surface of a polymeric or textile material. Furthermore, the present invention is possibly preferably directed to a surface modifying agent which comprises a styrene sulfonated nitrene monomer, polymer or polymer containing one or more nitrene functional groups, which are capable of chemically reacting via an insertion reaction into one or more carbon-hydrogen bonds on the surface of a polymeric or textile material in order to chemically attach a specific or desired chemical functionality to the surface of a polymeric or textile material.

The present invention relates to surface modifying agents for polymeric and/or textile materials, methods of making and/or using a surface modifying agent to modify and functionalize polymeric and/or textile materials, and/or methods of using surface modified or functionalized polymeric and textile materials, and/or products using or incorporating surface modified or functionalized polymeric and textile materials. For example, the surface modifying agent in precursor form can be styrene sulfonyl azide monomer, polymer or copolymer capable of undergoing a chemical reaction in the presence of heat or light to form one or more styrene sulfonated nitrene monomers, polymers or copolymers, which are capable of chemically reacting with the surface of a polymeric or textile material to endow a specific or desired chemical surface functionality to the surface of a polymeric or textile material. Furthermore, the present invention is possibly preferably directed to a surface modifying agent which comprises a styrene sulfonated nitrene monomer, polymer or polymer containing one or more nitrene functional groups, which are capable of chemically reacting via an insertion reaction into one or more carbon-hydrogen bonds on the surface of a polymeric or textile material in order to chemically attach a specific or desired chemical functionality to the surface of a polymeric or textile material.

An article that includes a functionalized copolymer and the use thereof, particularly in a process for binding biomaterials, such as in a process for separating aggregated proteins from monomeric proteins in a biological solution; wherein the article includes: a) a porous substrate; and b) a copolymer covalently attached to the porous substrate, the copolymer comprising a hydrocarbon backbone and a plurality of pendant groups attached to the hydrocarbon backbone, wherein 1) each of a first plurality of pendant groups comprises: (a) at least one acidic group or salt thereof; and (b) a spacer group that directly links the at least one acidic group or salt thereof to the hydrocarbon backbone by a chain of at least 6 catenated atoms; and 2) each of a second plurality of pendant groups comprises: (a) at least one acidic group or salt thereof; and (b) a spacer group that directly links the at least one acidic group or salt thereof to the hydrocarbon backbone by a chain of at least 6 catenated atoms; and wherein the first plurality of pendant groups are different than the second plurality of pendant groups; and wherein a mole ratio of the first plurality of pendant groups to the second plurality of pendant groups is in a range of 95:5 to 5:95.

A super-wet surface is a polypropylene surface, on which a hydrophilic side group is grafted, having a micro-nano structure. The super-wet surface is at least super-hydrophilic and does not contain an initiator residue. The super-wet surface is prepared by grafting, in the absence of an initiator, by means of microwave irradiation, a monomer for forming a side group, on the polypropylene surface, as a grafting base, having a micro-nano structure. In the preparation of the super-wet surface, the molecular weight of polypropylene does not decrease after grafting, there is no residual monomer or initiator residue, and the super-wetting effect of the obtained surface is lasting and stable. The super-wet surface can be used in bonding, spraying, oil-water separation, water treatment, biology, medicine and energy fields.

Asymmetric composite membranes and methods for their preparation are disclosed. The membranes comprise a cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer coated on a film of cross-linked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) adhered to a sheet of hydrophilicitized microporous polyolefin. The microporous polyolefin is typically microporous poly(ethylene). The membranes have improved selectivity with the regard to the rejection of solutes in reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration applications.

Filtration apparatus including Graphene Oxide (GO) membranes are described herein. The GO membranes exhibit durability under harsh operation conditions including elevated temperatures, high pressure, and/or non-neutral pH. The filtration apparatus can include a GO membrane and a functionalized support including surface functional groups grafted to the functionalized support via a free radical co-polymerization approach. The filtration apparatus can exhibit improved performance (e.g., high rejection) in applications such as pulp and paper processing, which facilitates achieving permeate quality targets. The filtration apparatus described herein can also offer a more stable replacement for reverse osmosis membranes which are known to degrade under strongly alkaline conditions and high temperatures.

A substrate comprising a crosslinked polymer primer layer, and grafted thereto a ligand-functionalized polymer is provided. The grafted polymer has the requisite affinity for binding neutral or negatively charged biomaterials, such as cells, cell debris, bacteria, spores, viruses, nucleic acids, and proteins, at pH's near or below the pI's of the biomaterials.

A polysulfone membrane is modified so that monomers are grafted onto the surface of the membrane. The polysulfone membranes can be grafted by contacting the membrane with a grafting solution and exposing the membrane to electromagnetic radiation, typically within the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. The monomers that are grafted are typically anionic or cationic. The grafted membranes can be used for filtering impurities, such as positively and negatively charged particles, from a liquid. Anionic membranes provide improved filtration of negatively charged impurities, while cationic membranes provide improved filtration of positively charged impurities.