The present invention provides highly permeable and porous polybenzimidazole membranes, methods of making them, and their application as a high-performance membrane support for gas separation composite membranes. The polybenzimidazole membranes are bonded to a fabric substrate.

A mesoporous isoporous asymmetric material includes at least one diblock or multiblock copolymer, wherein the material has a transition layer having a thickness of at least 300 nm and a low macrovoid density, and the material has a sub-structure adjacent to said transition layer and said sub-structure comprises a high macrovoid density. A method for producing mesoporous isoporous asymmetric materials having macrovoids can include: dissolving at least one diblock or multiblock copolymer in a solution, the solution having one or more solvents and one or more nonsolvents, to form a polymer solution; dispensing the polymer solution onto a substrate or mold, or through a die or template; removing at least a portion of solvent and/or nonsolvent from the polymer solution to form a concentrated polymer solution; and exposing the concentrated polymer solution to a nonsolvent causing precipitation of at least a portion of the polymer from the concentrated polymer solution.

A membrane including a polymer substrate having pore channels and a metal-organic framework disposed on the polymer substrate. Methods of producing the membrane are described. Methods of separating gases using the membrane are also provided.

A forward osmosis membrane for seawater desalination and a method for preparing the same. The forward osmosis membrane has a composite membrane structure including a nonwoven fabric layer; a hydrophilic polymer layer; and a polyamide layer. The hydrophilic polymer layer formed on the nonwoven fabric layer facilitates an inflow of water from the feed water to the draw solution to enhance flux and realize high water permeability in the direction of osmosis. The polyamide layer not only secures contamination resistance and chemical resistance but also minimizes the back diffusion of salts of the draw solution in the direction of reverse osmosis. Hence, the forward osmosis membrane of the present invention is greatly useful for desalination of high-concentration seawater.

A membrane including a polymer substrate having pore channels and a metal-organic framework disposed on the polymer substrate. Methods of producing the membrane are described. Methods of separating gases using the membrane are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to semipermeable membranes which are suitable for blood purification, e.g. by hemodialysis, which have an increased ability to remove larger molecules while at the same time effectively retaining albumin. The membranes are characterized by a molecular retention onset (MWRO) of between 9.0 kD and 14.5 kD and a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of between 55 kD and 130 kD as determined by dextran sieving curves and can be prepared by industrially feasible processes excluding a treatment with salt before drying. The invention therefore also relates to a process for the production of the membranes and to their use in medical applications.

Disclosed are hollow fibers suitable for use in dialysis in an outside-in configuration. For such fibers, it is desirable that the fiber have a low albumin sieving coefficient and have a permeability high enough to be considered a High Flux dialyzer, and it is desirable that the outer (blood-facing) surface have a sufficiently small roughness and be hydrophilic. It is desirable that there be a selective layer on the outer surface and, interiorly of that, a porous structurally supportive region, which may contain elongated macrovoids. Such a fiber may be spun through a triple-concentric spinneret that produces a bore liquid surrounded by dope surrounded by a shower. The shower and the coagulation bath may be pure water, which is a non-solvent. The process may be performed at room temperature. Spinning parameters are discussed.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a porous membrane, the method being characterized in that a solvent system comprising 2-pyrrolidone and N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is used, wherein the content ratio of 2-pyrrolidone to N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone in the solvent system is from 90%:10% to 10%:90%, based on mass %, and wherein N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is N-propyl-2-pyrrolidone and/or N-butyl-2-pyrrolidone. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a porous membrane obtainable by said method. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a specific solvent system for the production of a porous membrane.

The present disclosure relates to semipermeable membranes which are suitable for blood purification, e.g. by hemodialysis, which have an increased ability to remove larger molecules while at the same time effectively retaining albumin. The membranes are characterized by a molecular retention onset (MWRO) of between 9.0 kD and 14.5 kD and a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of between 55 kD and 130 kD as determined by dextran sieving curves and can be prepared by industrially feasible processes excluding a treatment with salt before drying. The invention therefore also relates to a process for the production of the membranes and to their use in medical applications.

A membrane including a polymer substrate having pore channels and a metal-organic framework disposed on the polymer substrate. Methods of producing the membrane are described. Methods of separating gases using the membrane are also provided.