The present disclosure is directed to biomimetic membranes and methods of manufacturing such membranes that include structural features that mimic the structures of cellular membrane channels and produce membrane designs capable of high selectivity and high permeability or absorptivity. The membrane structure, material and chemistry can be selected to perform liquid separations, gas separation and capture, ion transport and adsorption for a variety of applications.

A method of processing a mixture of heated vapors, at least two of which substantially differ in polarity from each other, the method comprising directing said mixture of heated vapors at a temperature of at least 150? C. through a hydrophobic or hydrophilic mesoporous membrane comprising a mesoporous coating of hydrophobized or hydrophilized metal oxide nanoparticles, respectively, wherein the hydrophobic mesoporous membrane permits passage of one or more hydrophobic heated vapors and blocks passage of one or more hydrophilic heated vapors, and wherein the hydrophilic mesoporous membrane permits passage of one or more hydrophilic heated vapors and blocks passage of one or more hydrophobic heated vapors. The method is particularly directed to embodiments where the heated vapors emanate from a pyrolysis process. An apparatus for achieving the above-described method is also described.

Degasifying apparatus for eliminating gases, such as ambient air, from fluids, such as oil, said apparatus consisting of at least one permeable membrane (26) which lets the gas to be eliminated from the fluid (22) penetrate therethrough and retains the liquid moiety of the fluid.

A membrane filter includes a plurality of honeycomb ceramic filtering elements, each element including a plurality of parallel ducts separated by walls and open on a face for introduction of the liquid to be filtered, an interstitial volume between the filtering elements, a filtration membrane positioned on the inner surface of the walls of the ducts, wherein the filtering elements are joined together by a curable material that forms after curing a sleeve in the form of a single part joining together, by sealing, all of the filtering elements separated the interstitial volume, the sleeve having a thickness e between 1% and 10% of the length of the filter, and the curable material being present in the open porosity and through the entire thickness of each porous wall forming the elements, over a minimum non-zero height h.

A reverse osmosis treatment apparatus includes a membrane unit including an osmosis membrane module. The membrane unit includes a plurality of banks connected in series, each bank including an osmosis membrane module. At least one of the banks includes a treatment water pipe valve and a concentrated water pipe valve, and a bypass pipe capable of diverting the water to be treated, which is to be supplied to the bank, around the bank and draining the water to be treated and a chemical cleaning pipe capable of supplying the reverse osmosis membrane module disposed in the bank with chemical cleaning water are connected. A reverse osmosis treatment method is for cleaning intermittently a bank having the treatment water pipe valve and the concentrated water pipe valve while continuing the reverse osmosis treatment using the remaining bank.

Described are filter cartridges, filter apparatuses, and related methods that involve a filter cartridge that includes a cartridge support that includes centering surfaces, a helical strand, or both.

A porous tube or conduit formed in a series of loops coiled around a center line, the series of loops having a first loop, the first loop having a first extension configured with a first open end in fluid communication with the first loop, the series of loops having an end loop, the end loop having a second extension configured with a second open end in fluid communication with the end loop, wherein the first open end and the second open end are positioned proximate the center line and the first loop, and, thus, functions to provide a more efficient filter having less plugging or clogging of the filtration membrane, reduced the need for self-cleaning of the porous tube, minimize the effects of pressure drop across a porous tube, installed inside a tank, accommodating shipping, handling, and storage, simplified system arrangement, thereby provide a more efficient filtration device, system, process.

A reactor cell for measuring gas and liquid permeation is disclosed. A hollow fiber is supported by and sealed into a first hole and a second hole of the reactor module. The first and second ends of the hollow fiber are sealed with a sealing solution. Methods for making and using the reactor cell are also disclosed. As made and used, the reactor cell further comprises a molecular sieving membrane that is uniform and free of defects grown on an inner bore surface of the hollow fiber.

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 comprising 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.

Provided is an adsorptive liquid filter including: a support tube having a hollow portion formed in a tubular shape and having a plurality of throughholes penetrating the hollow portion from an outer circumferential surface thereof; and an adsorptive membrane which is enclosed by the outer circumferential surface of the support tube and adsorbs foreign substances contained in contaminated liquid, the adsorption membrane including: a support member having a plurality of first pores; and a first adsorptive member which is stacked on the support member and has a plurality of second pores formed therein and is made by accumulating ion exchange nanofibers for adsorbing foreign substances.