The present disclosure provides novel solid sorbents synthesized by the reaction of polyamines with polyaldehyde phosphorus dendrimer (P-dendrimer) compounds for metal sequestration. The sorbents are highly stable and exhibit desirable thermodynamics and reaction kinetics with a wide variety of metals including heavy metals and rare earth elements. The sorbents can be easily regenerated for repeated use to extract metals from an aqueous solution. The materials are stable to aqueous and organic media, as well as strong acid and bases. The sorbents maintain full capacity over many cycles of use.

A cationic composite filter aid may include a silicate substrate, a silica precipitated on the silicate substrate, and a cationic surface modification of the precipitated silica. A method for making a cationic composite filter aid may include providing a silicate substrate, precipitating a silica onto the silicate substrate to form a composite filter aid, and cationically modifying the precipitated silica to form a cationic composite filter aid. A method for filtering a liquid may include providing a liquid for filtering and filtering the liquid through a cationically modified composite filter aid. The cationically modified composite filter aid may include a silicate substrate, a precipitated silica, and a cationic surface modification of the precipitated silica.

A fiber is provided as a substrate for a functional nanostructure (coated fiber), composed of (a) a fiber substrate; (b) a reactive dye conjugating moiety covalently bound to the fiber substrate; (c) a bonding agent covalently bound to the reactive dye conjugating moiety; and (d) the functional nanostructure bound to the bonding agent. A method of making the coated fiber is also provided, involving the following steps in any order: covalently binding the reactive dye conjugating moiety to the fiber; covalently binding a bonding agent to the reactive dye conjugating moiety; and binding the functional nanostructure to the bonding agent. The nanostructures are tenaciously attached to the fibers, resisting very rough treatments, and can be made using inexpensive and widely available reactive dyes under non-stringent synthesis conditions.

A filtration device selectively removes hydrophobic waste from wastewater while leaving other water and surfactant components, which may then be recycled to a point of use. The wastewater treatment system may comprise a filtration unit and filtration media. The filtration unit may comprise a housing having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of a point of use and configured to receive a wastewater stream from the point of use for treatment, and an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the point of use and configured to deliver filtrate to the point of use. The filtration media may be positioned within the housing. The filtration media may comprise an oleophilic foam substrate and a hydrophobic coating on the oleophilic foam substrate. The filtration media may be configured to separate a hydrophobic component from the wastewater stream to produce filtrate comprising water and surfactant.

A separation device includes a first shredding unit, a first beating unit, and a first separation unit. The first shredding unit shreds a disposable diaper (processing target) containing a plastic (first material) and a water-absorbent polymer (second material) adhering to the plastic. The first beating unit beats the disposable diaper shredded by the first shredding unit with a first beating member, thereby promoting dissociation of the water-absorbent polymer from the plastic. The first separation unit rotates a first tubular portion in a state in which the disposable diaper beaten by the first beating unit is accommodated therein, thereby separating the water-absorbent polymer passing through first holes from the disposable diaper.

The present invention concerns a zeolitic adsorbent comprising a zeolitic agglomerate comprising at least one zeolite and at least one agglomeration binder, said agglomerate being coated with a coating comprising at least one pigment.

Systems and methods for the detection of one or more target molecules emitted from microbial sources are described. The systems and methods may include a molecularly imprinted polymer film; a strain sensitive surface, wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film comprises a polymer host with one or more binding sites for one or more target molecules. The molecularly imprinted polymer film may be coated upon the strain sensitive surface.

A process for separations and recovery from mixtures via specific adsorption using high-surface area, flexible silica-based nanostructured gel adsorbents and articles of manufacture relating to same.

Certain aspects of the invention relate to a method of synthesizing a composite usably for oil-water separation comprising surface nanostructuring a pristine powder or porous material to form a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features; and coating single or multilayers of one or more low surface energy oligomers, polymers, or their composites with other materials on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material.

The present disclosure provides a multilayer article. The multilayer article includes a) a microfiltration membrane substrate, the microfiltration membrane substrate having a first major surface; and b) a first layer having a first major surface and a second major surface disposed opposite the first major surface. The first major surface of the first layer is directly attached to the first major surface of the microfiltration membrane substrate. The first layer includes a first polymeric binder and a plurality of acid-sintered interconnected first silica nanoparticles arranged to form a continuous three-dimensional porous network. The multilayer article further includes c) a second layer attached to the second major surface of the first layer. The second layer includes i) a metal coating or ii) a composite coating comprising a second polymeric binder and at least one of metal nanoparticles or metal nanowires.