A method for preparing a nanoporous membrane includes alternatively repeating, on the surface of a porous substrate, the laminating of a hydrophilic homopolymer and the laminating of an amphiphilic block or graft copolymer to provide a polymer multilayer film in which the alternative laminate of the hydrophilic homopolymer and the amphiphilic block or graft copolymer is formed. The polymer multilayer film is annealed to form a microphase separated polymeric membrane. The laminating of a hydrophilic homopolymer and the laminating of a supramolecular structure compound are alternatively repeated, on the surface of the polymeric membrane, to form the alternative laminate of the hydrophilic homopolymer and the supramolecular structure compound.

The present disclosure provides cassettes for use in automated cell engineering systems that include cell concentration filters for reducing fluid volume of a cell sample during or following automated processing. The disclosure also provides methods of concentrating a cell population, as well as automated cell engineering systems that can utilize the cassettes and carry out the methods.

Disclosed is a hollow fiber that contains an outer layer made of a first polymer and an inner layer made of a second polymer, the inner layer including at its outer surface a macrovoid-free thin interface sublayer in contact with the inner surface of the outer layer. The first polymer is immiscible with the second polymer. Also disclosed is a process of preparing the above-described hollow fiber.

The invention relates to a process for recovering methane from digester biogas or landfill gas. More specifically, the invention pertains to a method for producing biomethane that removes impurities from a compressed digester biogas with staged membrane modules of at least two different types, to produce a biomethane having at least 94% CH.sub.4, below 3% of CO.sub.2, and below 4 ppm of H.sub.2S.

The present invention relates to modified ceramic membranes for the treatment of water. The invention discloses a modified ceramic membrane, comprising: a ceramic membrane, and an outer surface of said ceramic membrane is grafted by a hydrophilic organosilane, wherein said organosilane is selected from the group consisting of: CH30(C2H40)x(CH2)ySi(OCH3)3, where x is >4 and y is >0; CH30(C2H40)x(CH2)ySi(OCH2CH3)3, where x is >4 and y is>0; (CH30)3Si(CH2)yO(C2H40)x(CH2)ySi(OCH3)3, N where x is >4 and y is >0; and (CH3CH20)3Si(CH2)yO(C2H40)x(CH2)ySi(OCH2CI-13)3, where x is >4 and y is >0.

The present invention provides an intrinsically anti-microbial hollow fiber membrane for filtration of liquids. The membrane comprises a plurality of porous hollow bilayer membrane fibers wherein the liquid enters from outside of the fiber, passing through the porous membrane into the lumen of the fiber and coming out from the hollow ending of the fiber, wherein this configuration provides a liquid outside-in arrangement and retains the filtrate outside. It means that membrane of the invention has built in characteristics to act against microbes in order to provide the use with a safe liquid free from microbes. The outer side or outer wall of the hollow fibers may be configured to become hydrophobic whereas inner side or inner wall of the hollow fiber membrane may be configured to become hydrophilic to enhance the water permeability to a great extent. The hollow fiber membrane may be configured to give it an intrinsic anti-microbial capability. A device containing above said membrane has also been disclosed.

A method for producing an asymmetric porous membrane includes: forming a first casting film from a casting solution on a carrier, the casting solution containing a hydrophobic polymer, a hydrophilic polymer, a water-soluble polymer, and a solvent; placing the first casting film in an environment containing water vapor to contact the first casting layer with the water vapor, thereby obtaining a second casting film, the environment having a temperature ranging from 20 C. to 33 C. and a relative humidity of 30% to 80%; and contacting the second casting film with a coagulating agent so as to perform a wet-phase inversion. The hydrophilic polymer is polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyalkylene glycol, or a combination thereof. The water-soluble polymer is a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate, a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone and alkylene glycol, a vinyl alcohol-based polymer, an ethylene glycol/propylene glycol based copolymer, an ethyleneimine-based polymer, a water-soluble cellulose, or combinations thereof.

M(SiF.sub.6)(pyz).sub.3 (M=Cu, Zn, Co, or Ni) has a pore size between a size of H.sub.2 and a size of CO.sub.2, and thus exhibits prominent screening performance for H.sub.2/CO.sub.2. A strong interaction between Cu(SiF.sub.6)(bpy).sub.2 and a CO.sub.2 molecule can hinder the transport of the CO.sub.2 molecule. The above two MOFs both can achieve the H.sub.2/CO.sub.2 separation. By preparing a dense MSiF.sub.6/polymer layer, MSiF.sub.6 is uniformly dispersed in the polymer and is fixed, and subsequently, MSiF.sub.6 is converted into M(SiF.sub.6)(pyz).sub.3 or Cu(SiF.sub.6)(bpy).sub.2 by interacting with an organic ligand. Through vapor-induced in-situ conversion, MOF particles can be well dispersed without interface defects between the MOF particles and the polymer. Even at a doping amount of 80%, the mechanical flexibility and stability of the MMM can still be retained.

An air-impermeable water vapor transport membrane comprises an active layer on a microporous polymeric substrate. The active layer comprises a polyethylene-oxide containing copolymer and a polar protic solvent in an amount of about 3% to about 100% of copolymer weight in the active layer. Molecules of the protic solvent are bonded to the copolymer. The polar protic solvent reduces temperature-dependent variability in the water-vapor permeability of the membrane.

The invention relates to: anion exchange blend membranes consisting the following blend components: a halomethylated polymer (a polymer with (CH.sub.2).sub.xCH.sub.2Hal groups, Hal=F, Cl, Br, I; x=0-12), which is quaternised with a tertiary or a n-alkylated/n-arylated imidazole, an N-alkylated/N-arylated benzimidazole or an N-alkylated/N-arylated pyrazol to form an anion exchanger polymer. an inert matrix polymer in which the anion exchange polymer is embedded and which is optionally covalently crosslinked with the halomethylated precursor of the anion exchanger polymer, a polyethyleneglycol with epoxide or halomethyl terminal groups which are anchored by reacting with NH-groups of the base matrix polymer using convalent cross-linking optionally an acidic polymer which forms with the anion-exchanger polymer an ionic cross-linking (negative bound ions of the acidic polymer forming ionic cross-linking positions relative to the positive cations of the anion-exchanger polymer) optionally a sulphonated polymer (polymer with sulphate groups SO.sub.2Me, Me=any cation), which forms with the halomethyl groups of the halomethylated polymer convalent crosslinking bridges with sulfinate S-alkylation. The invention also relates to a method for producing said membranes, to the use of said membranes in electrochemical energy conversion processes (e.g. Redox-flow batteries and other flow batteries, PEM-electrolyses, membrane fuel cells), and in other membrane methods (e.g. electrodialysis, diffusion dialysis).