A method of manufacturing a separator element for obtaining molecular and/or particulate separation by tangential flow of a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, the element having a structure (2) of at least two porous rigid columns (3) made of the same material, positioned side by side to define, outside their outside walls, a volume (4) for recovering the filtrate, each column (3) presenting, internally, at least one open structure (5) for passing a flow of the fluid medium, opening out in one of the ends of the porous column for inlet of the fluid medium for treatment, and in the other end for outlet of the retentate. The element is a single-piece rigid structure (2) made as a single piece that is uniform and continuous throughout, without any bonds or exogenous additions.

A solar-thermal vapor-permeation membrane is provided. The solar-thermal vapor-permeation membrane includes a thermally conductive, microporous support layer having a feed surface, and an active separation layer adjacent the feed surface of the support layer. The support layer is capable of absorbing solar-thermal radiation. Utilization of solar energy for a membrane separation process replaces fossil-fuel derived energy with renewable energy as the driving force and does not involve the generation of undesirable greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the solar-thermal vapor-permeation process using the provided membrane is cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly.

A tubular membrane, a membrane module, a device including a number of such membranes, and a method for manufacturing such membranes. The tubular membrane includes a tubular base providing a support and having an inner and outer surface, where the tubular base defines a lumen for the feed flow, and a membrane layer provided on the inner surface of the tubular base, where the inner surface of the tubular membrane includes a number of inwardly projecting ridges that extend in a substantially longitudinal direction of the tubular membrane.

A blood filtration device comprising a generally cylindrical housing having an interior wall. An interior member is mounted interior of the housing and comprises an outer surface having a porous membrane disposed thereon. The housing and interior member are relatively rotatable and define an annular gap therebetween. The blood filtration device also comprises an inlet for directing fluid into the annular gap, a first outlet for exiting filtrate passing through the membrane, and a second outlet for directing from the annular gap the remaining retentate. The porous membrane comprises a first layer and a second layer.

A tubular membrane comprises a support tube made out of one or more flexible tapes of porous support material which have been helically wound into a tube shape with overlapping tape edges which have been sealed to each other, and a semi-permeable membrane layer made of membrane forming material on an inner wall of the support tube. At least one inwardly projecting helical ridge is provided on said inner wall of the support tube, which helical ridge is covered with or forms part of the membrane layer.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a filtration membrane module with which is possible to improve the centrifugal separation effect of the primary-side flowpath during filtration, and the centrifugal separation effect of the area following the outer peripheral surface of the flowpath membrane element of the outer ring-shaped flowpath during backwash, and improve filtration efficiency and cleaning efficiency while curbing the accumulation of deposits on the membrane surface during filtration and during backwash. This filtration membrane module comprises: a membrane element equipped with a primary-side flowpath on the outside of a hollow cylindrical filtration surface; and a cylindrical housing positioned on the outside thereof. A flow adjuster is positioned inside the primary-side flowpath. A flow adjuster for backwash is positioned inside the secondary-side flowpath, which is an outer ring-shaped flowpath between the membrane element and the housing. The flow adjuster and the flow adjuster for backwash comprise spiral-shaped fins or the like in order to exhibit a centrifugal separation function in an area that follows the outer peripheral surface of the membrane element or the filtration surface.

Ceramic proton-conducting oxide membranes are described herein, which are useful for separating steam from organic chemicals under process conditions. The membranes have a layered structure, with a dense film of the perovskite over a porous composite substrate comprising the perovskite material and a metallic material (e.g., Ni, Cu, or Pt). The perovskite comprises an ABO.sub.3-type structure, where “A” is Ba and “B” is a specified combination of Ce, Zr, and Y. The perovskite ceramic materials described herein have an empirical formula of Ba(Ce.sub.xZr.sub.1-x-nY.sub.n)O.sub.3-δ, wherein 0<x<0.8 (e.g., 0.1≤x≤0.7 or 0.2≤x≤0.5); and 0.05≤n≤0.2; and δ=n/2. In some embodiments n is about 0.2. In some other embodiments 0.6≤x≤0.8; and n is about 0.2, such as Ba(Ce.sub.0.7Zr.sub.0.1Y.sub.0.2)O.sub.3-δ, also referred to herein as BCZY712.

A separator element comprising a porous rigid single-piece substrate (2) presenting firstly, at its periphery, a perimeter wall (2.sub.1) that is continuous between an inlet (4) for the fluid medium for treatment at one end of the porous substrate and an outlet (5) for the retentate at the other end of the porous substrate, and secondly, internally, a surface covered by a separator layer (6) and defining an open structure made up of empty spaces (3) for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment. The empty spaces (3) are arranged in the porous substrate so as to create within the porous substrate a first flow network (R1) for the fluid medium for treatment, having at least two interconnected flow circuits (R1.sub.1, R1.sub.2) for the fluid medium between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) of the porous substrate.

Ceramic proton-conducting oxide membranes are described herein, which are useful for separating steam from organic chemicals under process conditions. The membranes have a layered structure, with a dense film of the perovskite over a porous composite substrate comprising the perovskite material and a metallic material (e.g., Ni, Cu, or Pt). The perovskite comprises an ABO.sub.3-type structure, where “A” is Ba and “B” is a specified combination of Ce, Zr, and Y. The perovskite ceramic materials described herein have an empirical formula of Ba(Ce.sub.xZr.sub.1-x-nY.sub.n)O.sub.3-δ, wherein 0<x<0.8 (e.g., 0.1≤x≤0.7 or 0.2≤x≤0.5); and 0.05≤n≤0.2; and δ=n/2. In some embodiments n is about 0.2. In some other embodiments 0.6≤x≤0.8; and n is about 0.2, such as Ba(Ce.sub.0.7Zr.sub.0.1Y.sub.0.2)O.sub.3-δ, also referred to herein as BCZY712.

A composite ion conducting tube is made by wrapping a support material or ion conducting sheet to from a tube having overlaps of layers that are bonded. The ion conducting sheet or tape used to make the tube may be very thin and the tube may be formed in situ by wrapping the support material and then coating with ion conducting polymer. The ion conducting tubes may be used in a pervaporation module or desalination system. The ion conducting tubes may be spirally wrapped or longitudinally wrapped and may be very thin having a tube wall thickness of no more than 25 microns.