Chinese ink is applied on various materials and stabilized by atomic layer deposition to fabricate solar steam generation devices. The encapsulated ink has excellent photothermal properties and evaporation efficiency under simulated sunlight, holding great promise in solar evaporation device applications.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a hydrophilic composite porous membrane including: a polyolefin microporous membrane, and an olefin/vinyl alcohol-based resin with which at least one main surface and inner surfaces of pores of the polyolefin microporous membrane are coated, in which a ratio t/x of a membrane thickness t (μm) to an average pore diameter x (μm), as measured with a perm porometer, is from 50 to 630.

Described herein are polysulfone-based and polyether sulfone-based thin-film nanocomposite (TFNC) membranes produced by solution blow spinning (SBS) technology for forward osmosis applications, including desalination and wastewater treatment. These TFNC membranes exhibit ultra-fast water flux, low reverse salt flux, and fouling resistance.

Composite membrane tubing includes a porous scaffold support combined with polyether block amide copolymer. The composite membrane tubing has overlapping “fusion areas” that are an artifact of the manufacturing process. The methods of manufacturing above-mentioned composite membrane tubing have also been addressed. The composite membrane tubing can be reinforced with a structural mesh to further provide rigidity and strength. Composite membrane tubing or generally extruded tubing can be integrated into a multi-tube module for various applications.

The present invention provides compact spiral-wound filter elements having cassette-like performance. The invention further provides filtration systems (e.g., TFF systems) and processes (e.g., SPTFF processes) employing compact spiral-wound filter elements having cassette-like performance.

Disclosed are polyimide blends and methods of making and using same. The disclosed polyimide blends are prepared by first blending an ionic polymer and a poly(amic acid) to form a poly(amic acid) precursor, followed by cyclization. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

The disclosure provides a method for preparing a hollow fiber membrane by melt spinning-stretching and selective swelling, including: preparing a nascent hollow fiber by melt spinning in an inert gas protective atmosphere by using an amphiphilic block copolymer as a film forming material, and stretching the nascent hollow fiber in the cooling process, a stretch rate being controlled at 200-540 mm/min, and a stretch ratio being controlled at 150-600%; immersing the obtained hollow fiber in a swelling solvent, and treating the hollow fiber in a water bath at 65° C. for 1 h; and then transferring the hollow fiber into a long-chain alkane solvent, treating the hollow fiber at the same temperature for 1-12 h, and after the completion of the treatment, immediately taking out the hollow fiber and drying the hollow fiber to obtain the hollow fiber membrane with a bicontinuous porous structure. By combining the melt spinning-stretching and the selective swelling, the method of the disclosure can synchronously and continuously improve the permeability and selectivity of the hollow fiber membrane. The treatment in the long-chain alkane solvent can make the polar chain excessively enriched on the surface of the membrane migrate inward, thereby improving the performance of the hollow fiber membrane.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to durable graphene oxide membranes for fluid filtration. For example, the graphene oxide membranes can be durable under high temperatures non-neutral pH, and/or high pressures. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a filtration apparatus comprising: a support substrate, and a graphene oxide membrane disposed on the support substrate. The graphene oxide membrane has a first lactose rejection rate of at least 50% with a first 1 wt % lactose solution at room temperature. The graphene oxide membrane has a second lactose rejection rate of at least 50% with a second 1 wt % lactose solution at room temperature after the graphene oxide membrane is contacted with a solution that is at least 80° C. for a period of time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a nanofiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of 200 to 1,000 and a high amount pf permeate for methanol, and suitable for use as an organic solvent nanofiltration membrane. A nanofiltration membrane formed using a polyamide resin, the nanofiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of 200 to 1,000 and a methanol permeability of 0.03 L/(m.sup.2.Math.bar.Math.h) or more.

A porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane of the present disclosure has a water vapor permeability, as measured according to Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) L 1099 (method B-1), of 150000 g/(m.sup.2.Math.day) or more in a thickness direction of the membrane. The porous PTFE membrane of the present disclosure, when attached as a waterproof air-permeable membrane to a housing of an electrical component or electrical device, allows water vapor residing inside the housing to be quickly discharged out of the housing.