The present invention provides a carbon membrane for fluid separation with which a high-pressure fluid can be separated and purified and which has excellent pressure resistance and is less apt to be damaged. The present invention relates to a carbon membrane for fluid separation, including: a core layer which has a co-continuous porous structure; and a skin layer which has substantially no co-continuous porous structure and is formed around the core layer.

A process for producing nitrogen-rich air by feeding high temperature air at 150° C. or more to an air separation membrane module is described. After being placed at 175° C. for two hours, the air separation module exhibits a shape-retention ratio of 95% or more in one embodiment. The nitrogen-rich air can be fed to a fuel tank for an aircraft, for example.

Methods of sequestering carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) are provided. Aspects of the methods include contacting an aqueous capture ammonia with a gaseous source of CO.sub.2 under conditions sufficient to produce an aqueous ammonium carbonate. The aqueous ammonium carbonate is then combined with a cation source under conditions sufficient to produce a solid CO.sub.2 sequestering carbonate and an aqueous ammonium salt. The aqueous capture ammonia is then regenerated from the from the aqueous ammonium salt. Also provided are systems configured for carrying out the methods.

A module having polymeric gas-separation membranes is capable of operation in extreme temperature environments. In one embodiment, the module includes polymeric fiber membranes, a tubesheet for holding the membranes, and a sleeve encasing the membranes, all of which are made of materials having coefficients of thermal expansion which differ from each other by not more than about 10%. In another embodiment, the membranes, the tubesheet, and the sleeve are all made of materials having a glass transition temperature greater than a highest anticipated temperature of operation of the module. In another embodiment, the module includes a head, and a clamshell having multiple protrusions which engage corresponding grooves in the head and in at least two grooves formed in the tubesheet.

A gas exchange system, said system comprising: a plurality of cartridges, each having a casing, said casing having a cartridge inlet adjacent to a first end and a cartridge outlet adjacent to an opposed second end; each casing having a bore in which is placed a gas permeable, liquid impermeable, hollow membrane; each hollow membrane having a membrane inlet arranged to receive a gas from an inlet chamber and a membrane outlet for venting said gas; each cartridge inlet in communication with a concentration zone, and arranged to receive a solvent from said concentration zone, so as to exit said solvent through said cartridge outlet; wherein said bore is arranged to flow said solvent adjacent to said hollow membrane so as to permit the exchange of gas through said gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane.

An environmental control system includes an air conditioning subsystem and a contaminant removal subsystem downstream of the environment to be conditioned. The contaminant removal subsystem includes: a first gas-liquid contactor-separator; a second gas-liquid contactor-separator; and a dehumidifier disposed either upstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator or downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.

A cell culture bioreactor has perfusion membranes and gas transfer membranes or a gas phase in an extra-membrane space in contact with a film on the perfusion membranes. Gas transfer membranes may travel through the perfusion membranes or through the extra-membrane space. Examples with hollow fiber and flat sheet membranes are shown. One or more of the membranes optionally has a responsive surface, for example a thermo-responsive surface. In some examples, membranes are located in X-Y planes while the length of the reactor extends in a Z-direction.

Disclosed are methods of manufacturing a zeolite membrane, comprising: providing at least one porous substrate; and coating the at least one porous substrate with a membrane. In some embodiments, the method further comprises hydrothermally treating the membrane with a first hydrothermal treatment step with tetrapropylammonium fluoride (TPAF) and a second hydrothermal treatment step with tetraethammonium hydroxide (TEAOH). In some embodiments, coating the substrate with a membrane comprises surrounding at least a portion of the at least one porous substrate with a precursor gel, the gel comprising a gel phase and a plurality of CHA or MFI crystals; heating the at least one porous substrate and the precursor gel; washing the at least one porous substrate; drying the at least one porous substrate; and calcining the at least one porous substrate.

A gas separation system includes: a first gas separation membrane unit; a second gas separation membrane unit; a material gas feed line connected to a gas inlet port of the unit; a first compressor interposed to the line; a first connection line connecting a permeated gas discharge port of the unit and a gas inlet port of the unit; and a second connection line connecting a non-permeated gas discharge port of the unit and the line. The unit and unit each have a gas separation selectivity of 30 or greater. The CH.sub.4 recovery rate is 98% or higher. The CO.sub.2 content in non-permeated gas of the unit is 5 mol % or less. The flow rate of gas fed to the unit is 60% or less of the flow rate of material gas fed to the unit.

A low cost, high selectivity asymmetric polyimide/polyethersulfone (PES) blend hollow fiber membrane, a method of making the membrane and its use for a variety of liquid, gas, and vapor separations such as deep desulfurization of gasoline and diesel fuels, ethanol/water separations, pervaporation dehydration of aqueous/organic mixtures, CO.sub.2/CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2/N.sub.2, H.sub.2/CH.sub.4, He/CH.sub.4, O.sub.2/N.sub.2, H.sub.2S/CH.sub.4, olefin/paraffin, iso/normal paraffins separations, and other light gas mixture separations. The polyimide/PES blend hollow fiber membrane is fabricated from a blend of a polyimide polymer and PES and showed surprisingly unique gas separation property with higher selectivities than either the polyimide hollow fiber membrane without PES polymer or the PES hollow fiber membrane without PES polymer for gas separations such as for H.sub.2/CH.sub.4, He/CH.sub.4, H.sub.2S/CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2/CH.sub.4 separations.