A method for producing a nano-porous membrane with one or up to four graphene layers, pores in the membrane having an average pore size in the range of 0.2-50 or 0.3-10 nm, wherein the method involves the following steps: a) generation of a contiguous, essentially non-porous membrane with one or up to four graphene layers; b) distributed point wise defect creation in the non-porous membrane with one or up to four graphene layers by way of irradiation; c) generation and successive growth of the pores at the defects generated in step b) by thermal annealing in the gas phase, e.g. under 02 at a temperature in the range of 250° C. to less than 400° C.

A method and system of discovering materials for use in carbon dioxide separation includes extracting references to chemical molecules from online sources. The extracted references are encoded into chemical formulas. Molecular properties are calculated from the encoded chemical formulas. Features are extracted from the chemical formulas. Molecular properties of predicted molecular structures are predicted through a machine learning engine. The predicted molecular properties are based on the calculated molecular properties and extracted features. Target properties for predicted molecular structures are defined. Synthesized molecular structures are generated. The synthesized molecular structures include predicted molecular properties satisfying the defined target properties.

A method and system of discovering materials for use in carbon dioxide separation includes extracting references to chemical molecules from online sources. The extracted references are encoded into chemical formulas. Molecular properties are calculated from the encoded chemical formulas. Features are extracted from the chemical formulas. Molecular properties of predicted molecular structures are predicted through a machine learning engine. The predicted molecular properties are based on the calculated molecular properties and extracted features. Target properties for predicted molecular structures are defined. Synthesized molecular structures are generated. The synthesized molecular structures include predicted molecular properties satisfying the defined target properties.

A housing of a separation apparatus includes therein a zeolite membrane complex. A sheath includes therein the housing. A fluid supplied to the inside of the housing has a temperature higher than the temperature around the sheath. A second exhaust port is used to exhaust a permeated substance that has permeated through the zeolite membrane complex in the fluid to the outside of the housing. The permeated substance exhausted from the housing can be led into an exterior space between the sheath and the housing through the second exhaust port and can be exhausted through an exterior exhaust port. At least part of the zeolite membrane complex is included in an inter-port space surrounded by the sheath, the second exhaust port, and the exterior exhaust port. This structure reduces energy required for fluid separation performed under high temperatures.

The present invention aims to improve the separation selectivity for light gases such as hydrogen and helium. The gas separation membrane according to the present invention includes a porous support layer and a separation functional layer containing a cross-linked polyamide and laid on the porous support layer, wherein: the separation functional layer has a protuberance structure containing a plurality of protrusions and recesses; randomly selected 20 of the protrusions on the surface of the separation functional layer indented under a load of 3 nN and observed in pure water at 25° C. by atomic force microscopy give an average deformation of 5.0 nm or more and 10.0 nm or less; and they give a standard deviation of the deformation of 5.0 nm or less.

A ventilation component 1a includes an internal member 10, a gas-permeable membrane 20, and an external member 30. The internal member 10 has an open tubular structure, and has a protruding portion 11 on an outer circumferential surface of the open tubular structure. The gas-permeable membrane 20 covers one opening of the internal member 10. The external member 10 is formed to have a closed tubular structure and has a hooking portion on an inner circumferential surface of the closed tubular structure, the hooking portion hooking the protruding portion. The internal member 10 is fixed to the external member 30 in a state where the internal member 10 is inserted inside the external member 30 and the external member 30 hooks the protruding portion 11 by the hooking portion 33. The ventilation component 1a is capable of being fixed to a projection 2p tubularly protruding from an outer surface of a housing 2. When the internal member 10 and the external member 30 are viewed in plan along an axis A, the ventilation component 1a satisfies a requirement I.sub.H < O.sub.B < O.sub.O.

A ventilation component 1a includes an internal member 10, a gas-permeable membrane 20, and an external member 30. The internal member 10 has an open tubular structure, and has a protruding portion 11 on an outer circumferential surface of the open tubular structure. The gas-permeable membrane 20 covers one opening of the internal member 10. The external member 10 is formed to have a closed tubular structure and has a hooking portion on an inner circumferential surface of the closed tubular structure, the hooking portion hooking the protruding portion. The internal member 10 is fixed to the external member 30 in a state where the internal member 10 is inserted inside the external member 30 and the external member 30 hooks the protruding portion 11 by the hooking portion 33. The ventilation component 1a is capable of being fixed to a projection 2p tubularly protruding from an outer surface of a housing 2. When the internal member 10 and the external member 30 are viewed in plan along an axis A, the ventilation component 1a satisfies a requirement I.sub.H < O.sub.B < O.sub.O.

The present invention relates to a porous membrane, process for the manufacture thereof and uses thereof.

A process chamber, such as for semiconductor processing equipment, is connected with a recovery unit. The recovery unit includes a first storage tank for buffer gas and a second storage tank for rare gas. Both storage tanks are connected with a column in the recovery unit. The recovery unit and process chamber can operate as a closed system. The rare gas can be transported at a variable flow rate while separation in the recovery unit operates at a constant flow condition.

A process chamber, such as for semiconductor processing equipment, is connected with a recovery unit. The recovery unit includes a first storage tank for buffer gas and a second storage tank for rare gas. Both storage tanks are connected with a column in the recovery unit. The recovery unit and process chamber can operate as a closed system. The rare gas can be transported at a variable flow rate while separation in the recovery unit operates at a constant flow condition.