A membrane for water collection may include a sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of conical structures disposed on the top surface of the sheet, the conical structures comprising a hydrogel material. Each conical structure of the plurality of conical structures may have a height of 1 mm to 50 mm, wherein height is measured from the top surface of the sheet to an apex of a conical structure. Each conical structure of the plurality of conical structures may have an apex angle of 10 to 60 degrees.

The present invention provides a nanocomposite coating comprising: a two-dimensional material; and a polymer, wherein the nanocomposite coating is semi-permeable and is for providing on porous material to improve selectivity towards one phase over others thereby enabling separation of that phase by mass transfer. There is also provided a phase transformation and mass transfer unit comprising porous material coated with the nanocomposite coating, and a low temperature liquid phase separation method comprising flowing liquid mixture through a phase transformation and mass transfer unit comprising porous material coated with the nanocomposite coating.

The forward osmosis membrane and the preparation method thereof provided by the present invention, through fully cover the support mesh layer of the membrane with antibacterial nanoparticles, especially the mixture of nano-Ag and nano TiO2, ensures without reducing the strength, water flux and salt rejection, providing an effective, long-term and comprehensive antibacterial effect. In the present invention, the antibacterial nanoparticles, especially the mixture of nano-Ag and nano-TiO2, are used to carry out antibacterial modification on the support mesh of the forward osmosis membrane, so as to inhibit the growth of bacteria on the forward osmosis membrane, improves the forward osmosis and also improves the safety of the entire purification and filtration system. The antibacterial forward osmosis membrane of the present invention can be applied to the filtration and purification of complex water sources, especially the purification and filtration of eutrophic and bacteria-prone water sources.

The present invention relates to an anti-fouling, semi-permeable membrane comprising a porous support layer, a thin film composite (TFC) layer formed on a surface of the support layer, and a cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layer formed on top of the TFC layer, wherein the cross-linked PVA layer is the reaction product of PVA and a cross-linking agent, said cross-linking agent being a polybasic acid comprising three or more acid groups or precursors thereof. The obtained membrane shows a high water flux and a low roughness suitable for an effective membrane notable for feed solution having a tendency of fouling the membrane.

A composite semipermeable membrane 12 of the present invention includes a porous support membrane 12a and a skin layer 12b supported by the porous support membrane 12a. The membrane surface of the composite semipermeable membrane 12 has an elastic modulus of 250 MPa or more and 500 MPa or less as calculated by force curve measurement using AFM in water. A spiral membrane element 20 of the present invention includes the composite semipermeable membrane 12 of the present invention. A water treatment system 100 of the present invention includes the spiral membrane element 20 of the present invention.

Membranes, methods of making the membranes, and methods of using the membranes are described herein. The membrane can include a support layer, and a selective polymer layer disposed on the support layer. The selective polymer layer can include a selective polymer matrix (e.g., hydrophilic polymer, a cross-linking agent, an amino compound, a CO.sub.2-philic ether, or a combination thereof), and optionally graphene oxide dispersed within the selective polymer matrix. The membranes can be used to separate carbon dioxide from hydrogen. Also provided are methods of purifying syngas using the membranes described herein.

A membrane distillation (MD) system consisting of a membrane module and carbon nanotube immobilized membrane for organic solvent separation is disclosed. The MD module includes a feed inlet and outlet, a sweep gas inlet, and a sweep gas outlet. Thermostats are positioned at the feed inlet and outlet to measure the change in temperature. Preferential sorption of the organic on carbon nanotube immobilized membrane contributes to enhanced solvent removal of the MD system. A pervaporation (PV) system consisting of a membrane module and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixed matrix membranes with graphene oxide (GO)—carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for enhanced purification of the alcohol solution after membrane distillation to remove trace amount of water is disclosed.

The present disclosure generally relates to liquid separation membranes. The present disclosure also relates to membranes comprising at least a nanoporous hydrophilic layer and a porous hydrophobic substrate. The present disclosure also relates to a process for preparing the membranes and to use of the membranes in pervaporation and/or membrane distillation processes including desalination and/or solvent dehydration.

Provided are a composite semipermeable membrane capable of enhancing adhesion between a separation functional layer provided with a coating layer and a protective tape while maintaining an effect of the coating layer to some extent, and a spiral membrane element using the composite semipermeable membrane.

A composite semipermeable membrane includes: a porous support; a separation functional layer formed on the porous support; and a coating layer provided on a surface of the separation functional layer, the coating layer having different surface roughnesses due to different adhesion amounts of a coating material depending on locations. The composite semipermeable membrane has a coating layer-side surface on which a glossy portion having a surface roughness Ra of 30 nm or less and a non-glossy portion having a surface roughness Ra of 50 nm or more are provided.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a production method for a porous membrane including pores, and concave portions having an average opening diameter greater than an average pore diameter of the pores on at least one of a pair of main surfaces, the method including a step of forming the concave portion on a surface to be the main surface.