The present invention relates to an evaporation retardant membrane for odorant compositions, which comprises a sheet-like support permeable to odorants, and at least one polymer coating arranged on one surface of the sheet-like support, wherein the sheet-like support is permeable to fragrances and where on at least one surface of the sheet-like support at least one polymer coating is arranged only on a part of the surface of the sheet-like support, such that the total coverage of the surface by all polymer coatings is 10 to 90%, and each quarter square centimeter of said surface is covered by a polymer coating to an extent of at least 10%. The present invention also relates to a device for controlled release of an odorant composition comprising a container for receiving an odorant composition, where the container has an opening, which is covered by the evaporation retardant membrane and the use of such a device for controlled release of odorant compositions.

Organic solvent nanofiltration membranes that include at least one polymer coated expanded polyparaxylylene (eP-PX) membrane are provided. A substrate/support layer may be positioned on one side of the ePPX membrane. In some embodiments, the substrate/support layer is sandwiched between ePPX membranes. Processes for manufacturing and using such organic solvent nanofiltration membranes are also provided. The organic solvent nanofiltration membranes are capable of separating and/or concentrating solutes from a solution comprising a lower molecular weight organic solvent with high permeability. The polymer coated ePPX membranes may also be resistant to chemical attack, resistant to gamma radiation, thermally stable, biocompatible, and strong.

The present invention aims to provide a porous separation membrane that does not suffer a significant decrease in the protein permeability even after long term use. The porous separation membrane has an asymmetric structure with a dense layer forming one surface layer and with a coarse layer forming the other surface layer, supports a biocompatible polymer, and meet the requirements (1) and (2) given below in surface analysis of a cross section containing the dense layer and the coarse layer performed by TOF-SIMS: (1) the minimum value of normalized intensity of the ion signal attributed to the biocompatible polymer in the coarse layer is 0.15 times or more of the maximum value, and (2) the normalized average intensity of the ion signal attributed to the biocompatible polymer in the dense layer is 2.0 times or more of the normalized average intensity of the ion signal attributed to carboxylic acid in the coarse layer.

The present application relates to a multizone, unsupported, microporous, high throughput membrane. The membrane includes a first microporous zone, a second microporous zone, and a third microporous zone, where the third microporous zone is positioned between the first and second microporous zones, with the first, second, and third microporous zones being integral with one another. Further aspects of the present application include a process for making the membrane and a filtration cartridge with the membrane of the present application.

The present application relates to a multizone, unsupported, microporous, high throughput membrane. The membrane includes a first microporous zone, a second microporous zone, and a third microporous zone, where the third microporous zone is positioned between the first and second microporous zones, with the first, second, and third microporous zones being integral with one another. Further aspects of the present application include a process for making the membrane and a filtration cartridge with the membrane of the present application.

A crosslinked microporous membrane (crosslinked polymer) composition useful in gas separation, the membrane comprising: (i) an aromatic polymer containing a multiplicity of benzene rings; and (ii) a multiplicity of fluorinated aromatic moieties, each fluorinated aromatic moiety containing at least two separate methylene (—CH.sub.2—) linkages connected to benzene rings on the aromatic polymer; wherein the cross-linked microporous membrane possesses micropores having a pore size of up to 2 nm. Also described are methods for producing the crosslinked polymer and a microporous carbon material produced by pyrolysis of the crosslinked polymer membrane. Also described are methods for using the crosslinked polymer and microporous carbon material for gas or liquid separation, filtration, or purification.

A crosslinked microporous membrane (crosslinked polymer) composition useful in gas separation, the membrane comprising: (i) an aromatic polymer containing a multiplicity of benzene rings; and (ii) a multiplicity of fluorinated aromatic moieties, each fluorinated aromatic moiety containing at least two separate methylene (—CH.sub.2—) linkages connected to benzene rings on the aromatic polymer; wherein the cross-linked microporous membrane possesses micropores having a pore size of up to 2 nm. Also described are methods for producing the crosslinked polymer and a microporous carbon material produced by pyrolysis of the crosslinked polymer membrane. Also described are methods for using the crosslinked polymer and microporous carbon material for gas or liquid separation, filtration, or purification.

A composite material is provided comprising a porous polymeric matrix having metal-organic framework (MOF) domains dispersed within the porous polymeric matrix, each of said MOF domains in fluid communication with the external environment through the pores in the porous polymeric matrix. A process of using the composite material to chemically modify or detoxify a chemical warfare agent or a toxic industrial chemical is also provided. The chemical warfare agent or the toxic industrial chemical is brought into contact with a MOF domain within the porous polymeric matrix so that the MOFs adsorb and chemically modify the chemical warfare agent or the toxic industrial chemical. A process for producing such a composite material is also disclosed.

The invention relates to dense synthetic membranes made from polymerised phosphonium-based ionic liquids which were found to be particularly suitable for use in gas separation. The membranes are obtainable by copolymerization via UV-curing of a composition comprising a phosphonium-based ionic liquid monomer, a co-monomer, a cross-linker, a surfactant and a photo-initiator, the remainder of the polymerization mixture consisting of water. The invention also relates to a process of manufacturing said membranes, resulting in solid, dense and mechanically stable membranes, and to the use of the membranes so produced in the separation of gas mixtures, particularly gas mixtures containing carbon dioxide.

Composite materials for removing hydrophobic components from a fluid include a porous matrix polymer, carbon nanotubes grafted to surfaces of the porous matrix polymer, and polystyrene chains grafted to the carbon nanotubes. Examples of porous matrix polymer include polyurethanes, polyethylenes, and polypropylenes. Membranes of the composite material may be enclosed within a fluid-permeable pouch to form a fluid treatment apparatus, such that by contacting the apparatus with a fluid mixture containing water and a hydrophobic component, the hydrophobic component absorbs selectively into the membrane. The apparatus may be removed from the fluid mixture and reused after the hydrophobic component is expelled from the membrane. The composite material may be prepared by grafting functionalized carbon nanotubes to a porous matrix polymer to form a polymer-nanotube composite, then polymerizing styrene onto the carbon nanotubes of the polymer-nanotube composite.