The invention relates to a mechanically stable ultrafiltration membrane and to a method for producing such an ultrafiltration membrane.

A sensor device includes a substrate, a sensing layer formed over the substrate, and a cover layer at least partially covering the sensing layer and protecting the sensing layer. The cover layer is a porous material or has a plurality of openings.

A polymer film has a loofah-like structure. It has a fibrous framework structure formed by three-dimensional interwoven and interconnected polymer fibers and a three-dimensional interconnected network pore structure distributed in the fibrous framework structure. The polymer is an organic polymer and the fibrous framework structure is integrally formed by the polymer. The film has a volume porosity of from 50% to 95%. The film is obtained by means of a combination method for atomization pretreatment and non-solvent phase separation. The film can be used in the fields of gas filtration, liquid filtration, oil-water separation, adsorption materials, catalysis, pharmaceutical sustained release materials, anti-adhesion coatings, oil delivery and oil spill interception.

Hydrophilic flat-sheet membrane based on a hydrophobic first polymer from the group consisting of aromatic sulfone polymers and a hydrophilic second polymer, wherein the membrane has a thickness in the range between 30 and 200 μm, a first and a second surface and a supporting layer having a three-dimensional sponge-like network structure, wherein the supporting layer has a first cover layer on the side thereof facing the first surface and a second cover layer on the side thereof facing the second surface, which cover layers are formed integrally with the supporting layer, and wherein the first and second surfaces have approximately oval or circular openings which penetrate the first and second cover layers, respectively, and are connected to the supporting layer, wherein the average diameter of the openings in the surfaces differ by a factor of less than 2, wherein the three-dimensional network structure of the supporting layer is made up of thick branches and a continuous pore system, and the predominant proportion of the branches have a diameter of at least 0.5 μm at the thinnest point thereof and wherein the pores in the supporting layer are larger than the openings in the surfaces.

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.

Hydrophobic flat membrane made from a vinylidene fluoride polymer with a wall, a first surface, and a second surface. The membrane has on its first surface a network structure with open pores and on its second surface a continuous skin in which pores are formed, and adjacent to the skin of the second surface a supporting layer with an isotropic pore structure across the wall thickness, wherein the supporting layer extends over at least 80% of the wall thickness and wherein the pores of the supporting layer have an average diameter of less than 1 μm. The weight average of the molecular weight M.sub.W of the vinylidene fluoride polymer lies in the range from 300 000 to 500 000 daltons, and the polydispersivity M.sub.W/M.sub.N is greater than 5.5.

The pores in the skin of the second surface have a closed perimeter in the plane of the skin and an average ratio of the extension in the direction of the longest axis thereof to the extension in the direction of the shortest axis thereof of at most 5. The pores in the first surface and second surface have an essentially isotropic distribution of their orientation. The porosity of the membrane lies in the range from 50 to 90 vol. % and the wall thickness in the range from 50 to 300 μm. The membrane has a maximum separating pore diameter d.sub.max in the range from 0.05 to 1.5 μm.

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 device and method for separating and recovering intestinal contents, comprising removing the impurities from the intestinal contents by means of coarse filtration and cross-flow fine filtration, followed by obtaining a concentrate by microporous membrane cross-flow filter, and collecting the target contents. The microporous membrane has a spongy porous structure, and can rapidly and effectively achieve the separation and recovery of flora from the intestinal contents by cooperation with cross-flow filtration. The separated and recovered dry flora comprises at least 10-20% of the initial wet intestinal contents, and comprises at least 10.sup.11/1 g dry flora.

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 membrane having a first outer surface having a plurality of pores in a skin layer and the plurality of pores having a closed perimeter in the skin layer. The membrane having a second outer surface and a porous supporting layer connecting the first outer surface to the second outer surface. The first outer surface of the membrane is a melt-fused skin layer from exposure to ultra-violet light.