A feed containing methane and nitrogen gas is processed in a three-stage membrane system, each stage of which is selective for methane over nitrogen. The methane enriched permeate from the first stage is removed as product gas. The methane-depleted residue from the second stage is purified in second and third cascaded stages to provide second and third permeates and second and third residues. The third stage permeate is recycled to the feed.

The present invention relates to a new high-throughput process for reducing impurities in essential oils and extracts (in particular for fragrances, fragrance ingredients, flavours and cosmetic ingredients) under mild conditions. Undesirable natural components such as waxes, but also synthetic materials such as agrochemicals and other environmental pollutants are reduced by using at least one selective nanofiltration membrane. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for reducing coloured components in essential oils to obtain a less coloured or even colourless essential oil, while achieving high re-colouration stability over time. Further, the odour quality is maintained or increased through reduction of undesirable olfactory substances to achieve a purified and higher quality oil.

Provided is a sheet laminate that enables the purification performance of a wastewater treatment apparatus to be maintained. A sheet laminate 21 is used in a wastewater treatment apparatus for purifying wastewater using action of microorganisms in the wastewater. The sheet laminate 21 comprises a base material 211 and a gas-permeable non-porous layer 212, the base material 211 being a microporous membrane.

Membranes, methods of making the membranes, and methods of using the membranes are described herein. The membranes can comprise a support layer, and a selective polymer layer disposed on the support layer. The selective polymer layer can comprise an oxidatively stable carrier and a borate additive dispersed within a hydrophilic polymer matrix. The oxidatively stable carrier can comprise a quaternaryammonium hydroxide carrier (e.g., a mobile carrier such as a small molecule quaternaryammonium hydroxide, or a fixed carrier such as a quaternaryammonium hydroxide-containing polymer), a quaternaryammonium fluoride carrier (e.g., a mobile carrier such as a small molecule quaternaryammonium fluoride, or a fixed carrier such as a quaternaryammonium fluoride-containing polymer), or a combination thereof. The borate additive can comprise a borate salt, a boric acid, or a combination thereof. The membranes can exhibit selective permeability to gases. As such, the membranes can be for the selective removal of carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide from hydrogen and/or nitrogen.

A vesicle in a liquid composition including an amphiphilic diblock copolymer of the PMOXA.sub.a-b-PDMS.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.

The present invention is concerned with a fibre membrane for use in a Membrane Supported Biofilm Reactor (MSBR) or the like, the fibre membrane comprising a substantially cylindrical sidewall defining an internal lumen from which gas can permeate through the sidewall, and characterised in that at least a part of an outer surface of the fibre membrane is engineered to define at least one biofilm retaining region which acts to retain a quantity of biofilm therein, in particular when the fibre membrane is subjected to a high sheer biofilm control event, such as experienced during a reactor cleaning cycle, for removing excess biofilm in order to prevent clogging of the reactor.

A method for preparing a super-hydrophobic membrane by cleaning a metal mesh by immersion in an organic solvent; subjecting the cleaned metal mesh to a surface modification treatment to increase its hydrophilicity; coating the treated metal mesh with a hydrophobic organic substance; and drying the metal coated mesh for obtaining the super-hydrophobic membrane. The super-hydrophobic membrane obtained thereby.

A method for producing a gas separation membrane, including the following steps: step (a): treating the surfaces of silica nanoparticles dispersed in a first solvent with a reactive functional group-containing compound, while nanoparticles are being dispersed in the solvent, to thereby prepare a first solvent dispersion of reactive functional group-modified silica nanoparticles; step (b): replacing the first solvent dispersion's dispersion medium of reactive functional group-modified silica nanoparticles prepared in step (a) with a second solvent without drying of dispersion medium, and then reacting functional group-modified silica nanoparticles with dendrimer-forming monomer or hyperbranched polymer-forming monomer in the second solvent's presence so that dendrimer or hyperbranched polymer is added to reactive functional group, to thereby prepare dendrimer- or hyperbranched polymer-bound silica nanoparticles; step (c): mixing dendrimer- or hyperbranched polymer-bound silica nanoparticles prepared in step (b) with a matrix resin; and step (d): applying mixture prepared in step (c) to a substrate, and then removing the solvent.

A diffusiophoretic water filtration device has a pressurizable gas chamber for receiving a pressurized gas; an inlet manifold for receiving a colloidal suspension including colloidal particles in water; a flow chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the flow chamber for receiving the colloidal suspension at the inlet from the inlet manifold, the colloidal suspension flowing between the inlet and at least one outlet in a flow direction; and a gas membrane separating the gas chamber and the flow chamber, the sheet being made of a gas permeable membrane, the pressurized gas capable of permeating the membrane, the membrane being water impermeable, the gas membrane having a first side facing the pressurized gas chamber, and a second side facing the flow chamber, the flow chamber having a plurality of channels, each channel contacting the second side of the membrane; and an outlet splitter separating a first outlet from a second outlet and splitting the plurality of channels, the first outlet for receiving water having a higher concentration of some of the colloidal particles than the second outlet.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe polymer blend membranes comprising a layer including a polymer blend of regenerated cellulose and polydimethylsiloxane and a support in contact with the layer. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods of preparing a polymer blend membrane comprising contacting a cellulose precursor and a PDMS precursor in a solvent to form a polymer blend solution, depositing the polymer blend solution on a surface of a suitable support, curing the PDMS precursor of the polymer blend solution to form PDMS, and converting the cellulose precursor to cellulose to form a polymer blend membrane including cellulose and PDMS. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods of separating chemical species by one or more of organic solvent nanofiltration and pervaporation.