The present invention relates to a tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, said separator element having a monolithic rigid porous support (2) of rectilinear structure and having a single channel (3) arranged therein for passing the flow of the fluid medium for treatment, the outside surface (5) of the support presenting a profile that is constant. According to the invention, the monolithic rigid porous support (2) defines obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for filtering, which obstacles extend from the inside wall (3.sub.1) of said channel (3), are identical in material and porous texture to the support, and present continuity of material and of porous texture with the support, said obstacles (9) generating variations in the flow section of the channel.

Methods for forming porous or nanoporous semiconductor materials are described. The methods allow for the formation of arrays pores or nanopores in semiconductor materials with advantageous pore size, spacing, pore volume, material thickness, and other aspects. Porous and nanoporous materials also are provided.

A liquid-repellent surface is provided where the repellency arises solely from the re-entrant surface structure. The liquid repellent surface is a porous membrane that contains hexagonally packed microcavities, each of which has a narrow opening located on its top. The surface is mechanically robust because the microstructures are interconnected in a continuous manner. A method of preparing the liquid repellent surface is also provided, which involves producing a uniform emulsion containing monodisperse micro-droplets, depositing the emulsion onto a substrate, and solidifying the emulsion-deposit by evaporating the solvent in the continuous phase fluid.

A method suppresses membrane thickness variation and air resistance variation after a compression at 60 C. or 80 C. Stretching is performed at least twice in at least different axial directions before the extraction of the solvent, and at the same time, at least one of (i) and (ii) is satisfied. (i) The step (c) is a first stretching step of stretching the sheet-shaped product at least once in a sheet transport direction (MD direction) and at least once in a sheet width direction (TD direction) individually, and the MD stretching magnification and the TD stretching magnification in the step (c) satisfy (TD stretching magnification MD stretching magnification2). (ii) The stretching temperature (T1) of a first axial stretching performed firstly in the step (c) and the maximal stretching temperature (T2) of a second stretching performed after the first axial stretching satisfy (T1T20).

A microporous membrane has average membrane thickness of 15 m or less, and relative impedance A after a heat compression treatment under a pressure of 4.0 MPa at 80 C. for 10 minutes of 140% or less, the relative impedance A being obtained by the equation below: Relative impedance A=(impedance measured at 80 C. after the heat compression treatment)/(impedance measured at room temperature prior to the heat compression treatment)100.

A filter including a porous support defining one or more channels therethrough, and a porous ceramic membrane layer on a surface of the porous support defining at least one of the one or more channels. The ceramic membrane layer includes an inorganic ceramic composition having the formula SiM.sup.p.sub.xpC.sub.yN.sub.zO.sub.mH.sub.n, where each M.sup.p present is independently selected from a p-block element or a d-block element; p is an integer from 1 to 5; for each M.sup.p present, xp is independently from about 0 to about 60; y is from about 0 to about 60; z is from about 0 to about 60; m is from about 0 to about 40; and n is zero or nonzero. At least one of y and z is nonzero when p is zero, and p is nonzero when y and z are both zero.

Disclosed are a superhydrophobic microfiltration membrane capable of facilitating higher permeate flux without separation performance deterioration when performing a water treatment based on a membrane distillation method, a filtration module for membrane distillation comprising the same, and a method for manufacturing the same. The superhydrophobic microfiltration membrane of the present invention comprises a porous member having a plurality of fine pores having an average pore size of 1 m to 100 m and has a pure water contact angle of 130 or more.

A process for the preparation of ultrafiltration and microfiltration polymeric flat sheet separation membranes is disclosed, the process comprising a unidirectional cooling step. Membranes prepared according to the process exhibit numerous advantages over ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes prepared via conventional processes. In particular, the membranes prepared by the present process exhibit remarkable pure water flux, superior mechanical properties and increased anti-fouling characteristics. Also disclosed are particular PVDF ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes having improved flux, mechanical and anti-fouling properties.

A monolayer membrane containing gelling polymer particles having at least one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and having a thickness of less than 5 ?m. A composite having a porous carrier and gelling polymer particles having at least any one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group and filling up the surface pores of the porous carrier. The invention can provide a novel material capable of efficiently separating an acid gas from a mixed gas.

The present disclosure concerns a micromechanical device and a method for manufacturing the same. The micromechanical device may comprise a membrane structure suspended on a substrate. The membrane structure may comprise a perforated gas permeable membrane comprising a plurality of perforations, and a reinforcement structure being coupled with the perforated membrane for stiffening the perforated membrane and/or for increasing the mechanical stability of the perforated membrane in order to attenuate an oscillation of the perforated membrane.