The invention pertains to a polyaryl ether sulfone polymer solution [solution (SP)] comprising: —at least one sulfone polymer [polymer (PSI)] having recurring units, wherein more than 50% moles, with respect to all the recurring units of polymer (PSI), are recurring units (R.sub.PSI) selected from the group consisting of those of formulae (R.sub.PSI-1) and (R.sub.PSI-2) herein below: (R.sub.PSI-1) (R.sub.PSI-2) wherein: —each of E′, equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, is selected from the group consisting of those of formulae (E′-1) to (E′-3): (E′-I) (E′-II) (E′-III) —each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, ether, thioether, carboxylic acid, ester, amide, imide, alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate, alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, alkyl phosphonate, amine and quaternary ammonium; and —j′ is zero or an integer of 1 to 4; is a bond or a divalent group optionally comprising one or more than one heteroatom; preferably T is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —CH.sub.2—, —C(O)—, —C(CH.sub.3).sub.2—, —C(CF.sub.3).sub.2—, —C(═CCI.sub.2)—, —C(CH.sub.3)(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—COOH)—, and a group of formula: (A) —at least one polar organic solvent [solvent (S)]; and —at least one mixture of polyhydroxyl aliphatic alcohols having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms or derivatives thereof [mixture (PHA)], said mixture (PHA) comprising at least one ethylene glycol compound [compound (EthyGly)] and at least one glycerol compound [compound (Gly)], to its use for manufacturing membranes, and to membranes obtained therefrom. ##STR00001##

Composite polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer tubes incorporate an ultra-thin PEBA layer that enables rapid moisture transfer and exchange through the tube. A composite PEBA film may include a porous scaffold support and may be formed or incorporated into the composite PEBA tube. A porous scaffold support may be coated or imbibed with PEBA to form a composite PEBA film. A composite PEBA film may be wrapped on a mandrel or over a porous scaffold support to form a composite PEBA tube. A film layer may be applied over a wrapped composite PEBA film to secure the layers together. The film layer by applied by dipping, spraying or painting.

A ceramic filter membrane module enables a fluid to be filtered, such as raw water, with higher efficiency using multiple ceramic filters in a housing. As the diameter of a through-hole located at the center is considerably larger than the diameter of the surrounding flow path, water pressure pushing the raw water is applied from the through-hole at the center toward the outside of a filter body, such that the raw water passes through the filter body smoothly, thereby improving the purification efficiency and uniformly setting the overall flow direction of the raw water. As packing members are installed and fixed between the housing and the ceramic filters, sealing of the incoming raw water and the filtered water becomes more effective, such that the risk of leakage is reduced. As a plurality of ceramic filters are housed in a single housing, economic benefit can be achieved.

A fluid separation apparatus comprising a fluid separation membrane is provided. The fluid separation apparatus comprises a fluid separation membrane extending in one direction and having a cross-section with a closed curve shape, wherein the fluid separation membrane has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 2 mm, and an outer diameter of 60 mm to 360 mm when the cross-section is adjusted to be circular.

A base material for a membrane filter contains 90% by mass or more of aluminum oxide and 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less of titanium oxide. In a pore distribution curve measured by a mercury porosimeter, the base material has a first peak and a second peak which is higher than the first peak and is located at a pore size larger than that of the first peak, and the volume of pores with a pore size of 7 μm or more is 0.02 cm.sup.3/g or more.

The present disclosure relates to hollow fiber tangential flow filters, including hollow fiber tangential flow depth filters, for various applications, including bioprocessing and pharmaceutical applications, systems employing such filters, and methods of filtration using the same.

Blood or other fluids can be caused to interact with a gas by providing a plurality of fluid flow channels that are surrounded by nanotubes, each of the channels having an inflow end and an outflow end, wherein each of the channels is wide enough for the blood to flow through, and wherein the nanotubes are spaced close enough to each other to retain the fluid within the channels when the blood is flowing through the channels. The fluid is then passed through the through the channels while a gas is passed through the spaces between the nanotubes outside the fluid flow channels. This permits the gas to interact with the fluid in the channels.

An array of hollow nanotubes is configured and dimensioned to allow impurities to transport through the hollow nanotubes from a first space containing an impurity-laden fluid to a second space where the impurities may be collected for removal, allowing fluids, such as blood, to be purified.

A method of manufacturing a separator element for obtaining molecular and/or particulate separation by tangential flow of a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, the element having a structure (2) of at least two porous rigid columns (3) made of the same material, positioned side by side to define, outside their outside walls, a volume (4) for recovering the filtrate, each column (3) presenting, internally, at least one open structure (5) for passing a flow of the fluid medium, opening out in one of the ends of the porous column for inlet of the fluid medium for treatment, and in the other end for outlet of the retentate. The element is a single-piece rigid structure (2) made as a single piece that is uniform and continuous throughout, without any bonds or exogenous additions.

The invention provides a hollow fiber membrane exhibiting a favorable gas permeation performance and an excellent heat resistance in which the generation of pinholes are suppressed, and a hollow fiber membrane module using the same. The hollow fiber membrane comprising a gas permeable nonporous layer; and a porous supporting layer to support the nonporous layer formed of a thermoplastic elastomer having a DSC melting peak temperature of 130° C. or higher and a rupture elongation prescribed in ISO 37 (2010) of 300% or more.