The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of microporous carbon materials to perform selective separations of nitrogen in gas mixtures such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane and C.sub.2, C.sub.3 and C.sub.4.sup.+ hydrocarbons, with high efficiency, shaped of microspheres or cylinders from copolymers of poly (vinylidene chloride-co-methyl acrylate) with density of 1.3 to 1.85 g/cm.sup.3 or poly (vinylidene chloride-co-vinyl chloride) with density of 1.3 to 1.85 g/cm.sup.3, using two stages. The first stage consists of a surface passivation of the material by chemical attack in a highly alkaline alcohol solution, with the aim of effecting a precarbonization on the surface of the copolymer that during the pyrolysis process is not deformed and gradually develops microporosity. The material of the first stage presents, in the layer, percentages between 55% to 85% carbon, between 5% to 20% oxygen, and between 10% to 40% chlorine. The interior of the material presents lower percentages of carbon, between 30% to 65%, oxygen in the amount of between 2% to 6%, and chlorine in the amount of between 30% to 60%. The second stage consists of the gradual pyrolysis of the passivated copolymer, with the aim of developing microporosity and high surface area values; as well as during the melting and gas dehydrohalogenation stages thereof, the deformation of the material is avoided. The morphology of the copolymers are microspheres of 125 to 225 micrometers, or cylinders of 4 mm in height and 3 mm in diameter, which after pyrolysis reduce its size by 35% with respect to the initial one. The material of the second stage, which is already microporous carbon material, presents in the layer percentages between 90% to 100% carbon and between 10% to 0% oxygen.

The present invention provides an ultrafiltration membrane comprising a sulfone polymer membrane matrix with pores and an organic polymer sealing layer, wherein the pores are filled with nanoadsorbents. The present invention further provides a method for preparing the ultrafiltration membrane, which includes the following steps: (1) synthesizing nanoadsorbents; (2) preparing the sulfone polymer membrane matrix by immersion-precipitation phase inversion; and (3) immobilizing nanoadsorbents in the pores of the sulfone polymer membrane matrix by reverse filling, then sealing the pores with organic polymers to form a multifunctional ultrafiltration membrane. In the present invention, colloidal gold, polyethylene glycol molecules and Pb(II) ions (and so forth) are utilized as models of viruses, macromolecular organic pollutants, and small molecular pollutants, respectively. It is shown that the multifunctional ultrafiltration membrane allows for removal of multiple pollutants from water and can simultaneously remove multiple pollutants under low pressure.

A method for preparing a hollow hydroxyl iron-manganese composite by employing a cubic structure template comprises: (1) preparation of a template: adding a certain mass of potassium permanganate to diluted hydrochloric acid, and dissolving and mixing evenly the same by magnetic stirring at room temperature; then adding polyvinylpyrrolidone thereto, and continuing to dissolve the same thoroughly by magnetic stirring; and finally adding a certain mass of potassium ferrocyanide and de-solubilizing the same for 10-60 minutes at room temperature, then transferring the above mixed solution into a sample bottle, and performing an isothermal reaction at 50-90 C. for 18-24 hours to obtain a blue-black deposit, namely a target iron-manganese composite template; and (2) preparation of a hollow iron-manganese composite: evenly dispersing the blue-black iron-manganese composite template obtained in the step (1) to a small amount of anhydrous ethanol, then adding a certain concentration of sodium hydroxide solution thereto, placing the same on a rotary shaker to react at room temperature for 6-12 hours, and then removing a supernatant liquid, so that a black substance remaining at a bottom of a centrifuge tube is a hollow hydroxyl iron-manganese composite having a cubic structure. Also provided are a hollow hydroxyl iron-manganese composite prepared by the above method, and an application thereof to adsorption and removal of heavy metal in water.

Disclosed are a carbon capture material prepared by needle-tube microfluidics and a preparation method thereof. The carbon capture material includes a sorbent and a microencapsulating shell, the sorbent includes one of an aqueous potassium carbonate solution or an aqueous ethanolamine solution or an aqueous ethanolamine solution containing graphene sheets, and the aqueous potassium carbonate solution or the aqueous ethanolamine solution or the aqueous ethanolamine solution containing graphene sheets is prepared by a microfluidic device. One of the aqueous potassium carbonate solution or the aqueous ethanolamine solution or the aqueous ethanolamine solution containing graphene sheets is used as a sorbent to prepare carbon capture particles by the microfluidic technology for the first time.

The invention describes a method to regenerate the carbon capture capacity of amino based sorbents used for carbon capture, after they have lost partially or totally their carbon dioxide capture capacity due to oxidation during said carbon capture process.

The use of hollow particles of hybrid aluminosilicates of imogolite or allophane type, characterized in that they have their external surface functionalized with AlOH units and their internal surface functionalized at least in part with SiR units, with R representing a nonhydrolyzable unit, preferably a hydrocarbon unit, as vehicle for one or more hydrophobic substances, in particular considered in the oil industry, the hydrophobic substances being chosen from any compound containing a linear or branched aliphatic chain having at least 4 carbon atoms, surfactants, biocides and methane clathrates inhibitors.

A process for preparing hollow particles of aluminosilicates having a spherical shape of allophane type which are hybrid at the core, comprising: (a) having, at ambient temperature, an aqueous medium containing at least one aluminum precursor and one silicon alkoxide in an Al/Si molar ratio varying from 1 to 3, (b) carrying out, with stirring, the alkaline hydrolysis of said medium with gradual addition of at least one base in a base/Al molar ratio of 2.3 to 3, (c) maintaining, on conclusion of the addition of all of said base, stirring at ambient temperature until said medium is obtained in the clear state, and (d) heating the solution obtained at a temperature varying from 50 to 150 C. for 2 to 8 days, the combined stages (a) to (d) are carried out within a reactor consisting of a material which is chemically inert with respect to the reactants and expected aluminosilicate.

A composition for use in bioseparation. The composition includes a plurality of hollow particles having a siliceous surface. The composition further includes a surface-modifying agent bonded to the hollow particles. The surface-modifying agent includes a binding segment and a reactive segment. The binding segment includes a silyl group and the reactive segment includes a reactive nitrogen group.

The present document describes a carbon allotrope-silica composite material comprising a silica microcapsule comprising a silica shell having a thickness of from about 50 nm to about 500 m, and a plurality of pores, said shell forming a capsule having a diameter from about 0.2 m to about 1500 and having a density of about 0.001 g/cm3 to about 1.0 g/cm3, wherein said shell comprises from about 0% to about 70% Q3 configuration, and from about 30% to about 100% Q4 configuration, or wherein said shell comprises from about 0% to about 60% T2 configuration and from about 40% to about 100% T3 configuration, or wherein said shell comprises a combination of T and Q configurations thereof, and wherein an exterior surface of said capsule is covered by a functional group; a carbon allotrope attached to said silica microcapsule. Also described is a carbon allotrope-silica composite material comprising a carbon allotrope attached to a silica moiety comprising a silica nanoparticle having a diameter from about 5 nm to about 1000 nm, wherein an exterior surface of said silica nanoparticle is covered by a functional group.

A polymer matrix composite comprising a porous polymeric network; and a plurality of functional particles distributed within the polymeric network structure, and wherein the polymer matrix composite has an air flow resistance at 25 C., as measured by the Air Flow Resistance Test, of less than 300 seconds/50 cm.sup.3/500 micrometers; and wherein the polymer matrix composite has a density of at least 0.3 g/cm.sup.3; and methods for making the same. The polymer matrix composites are useful, for example, as filters.