A separator (104) includes a porous polyetherimide membrane comprising a plurality of pores, wherein at least a portion of the pores comprise an electrolyte composition comprising an ionic liquid.

A nitrous oxide purification method includes a step of performing gas separation by introducing a mixed gas containing nitrous oxide into a gas separation membrane including a polymer material to cause nitrous oxide to selectively permeate the gas separation membrane.

A porous membrane which has a sponge-like morphology. The porous membrane contains imidazole- and benzimidazole-based metal-organic framework fillers embedded in a polymer matrix. Methods of fabricating the porous membrane via steps including solvent casting and coagulating are described. Methods of separating gases using the porous membrane are also provided.

Disclosed is a hollow fiber that contains an outer layer made of a first polymer and an inner layer made of a second polymer, the inner layer including at its outer surface a macrovoid-free thin interface sublayer in contact with the inner surface of the outer layer. The first polymer is immiscible with the second polymer. Also disclosed is a process of preparing the above-described hollow fiber.

A system for degassing a hydrocarbon fluid from a hydrocarbon liquid has a plurality of hollow tube membranes. The hollow tube membranes are formed of a plastic providing an inner support body and an outer selective layer which is denser than the inner support body. The inner support body is formed of spherulitic structures. A fuel supply system and a method are also disclosed.

A composite membrane including a porous support and a thin film layer comprising a reaction product of: i) a polymer comprising a sub-unit including a Troger's base moiety represented by Formula I:

##STR00001## wherein L includes an arylene group substituted with at least one carboxylic acid or a corresponding salt or ester group, or a hydroxyl; and ii) a crosslinking agent selected from at least one of: a) a multifunctional epoxy compound and b) a multifunctional azide compound.

A process for preparing a membrane comprising applying a composition comprising a polyimide to a gas-permeable support and irradiating the composition with UV-C light source to form a discriminating layer on the support, wherein: (i) the UV-C light source emits light having a wavelength in the range 200 to 280 nm; (ii) the irradiation is performed for a period of time in the range 0.05 to 60 seconds; and (iii) the irradiation is performed at a power intensity of at least 20 mW/cm.sup.2 and no more than 250 mW/cm.sup.2

A gas separation system includes: a first gas separation membrane unit; a second gas separation membrane unit; a material gas feed line connected to a gas inlet port of the unit; a first compressor interposed to the line; a first connection line connecting a permeated gas discharge port of the unit and a gas inlet port of the unit; and a second connection line connecting a non-permeated gas discharge port of the unit and the line. The unit and unit each have a gas separation selectivity of 30 or greater. The CH.sub.4 recovery rate is 98% or higher. The CO.sub.2 content in non-permeated gas of the unit is 5 mol % or less. The flow rate of gas fed to the unit is 60% or less of the flow rate of material gas fed to the unit.

A thin film composite gas separation membrane comprising a polyether block amide copolymer coating layer and a nanoporous asymmetric support membrane with nanopores on the skin layer surface of the support membrane and gelatin polymers inside the nanopores on the skin layer surface of the support membrane. A method for making the thin film composite gas separation membrane is provided as well as the use of the membrane for a variety of separations such as separations of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide from natural gas, carbon dioxide removal from flue gas, fuel gas conditioning, hydrogen/methane, polar molecules, and ammonia mixtures with methane, nitrogen or hydrogen and other light gases separations, but also for natural gas liquids recovery and hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide removal from natural gas in a single step.

Porous liquid-filtering membranes are provided having a boundary region substantially surrounding the pore region and having greater tear resistance than the pore region.