Abstract: An appliance for fragmenting heterogeneous elements of a fluid medium comprising a filter module with an inlet connected to a supply line for the fluid medium including heterogeneous elements and an outlet connected to a fluid medium outlet line. The filter module comprises a series of channels inside which the fluid medium is to be circulated. The appliance further comprises a planar fragmentation device which is located upstream of the inlet and comprises passages. In accordance with the invention, the planar device constitutes a screen comprising passages which have one dimension equal to the smallest dimension of the cross section of flow of the channels divided by n, where n is in the range 1.4 to 10. The passages are formed from cutting separator elements which define the passages and have a minimum thickness in the range 0.1 mm to 2 mm to ensure fragmentation of heterogeneous elements of the fluid medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic filter element comprising:a rigid inorganic porous support; andchannels classifiable into n categories where n.gtoreq.2, with all of the channels in each category having identical right cross-section, identical hydraulic diameter, and identical equivalent diameter, the shapes of the right cross-sections of the channels differing between categories.According to the invention, the channels of the various categories have:hydraulic diameters such that the ratios between any two hydraulic diameters lie in the range 0.75 to 1.3;right cross-sectional areas such that the ratios between any two right cross-sectional areas lie in the range 0.75 to 1.3; andequivalent diameters such that the ratio of the equivalent diameter over the hydraulic diameter of each channel is less than or equal to 2.

Abstract: An inorganic filter element for filtering a fluid medium in order to recover a filtrate, the filter element being of the type including an inorganic rigid porous support of cylindrical shape having a longitudinal central axis, and channels formed in the support parallel to its central axis and presenting respective surfaces each covered in at least one separator layer that is intended to come into contact with the fluid medium, and at least some "peripheral" ones of the channels. The channels have their centers situated on a circle that is coaxial about the central axis and present a peripheral wall situated facing the outside surface of the support and co-operating therewith to define a direct through passage for the filtrate, and at least one radial wall co-operating with the facing radial wall of an adjacent channel to define a partition, the walls being interconnected by connection fillets. The channels also have a transverse cross-section that is non-circular.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic support obtained by sintering and intended to constitute a support for a filter membrane, the support comprising: an inorganic feedstock having a grain size greater than 20 .mu.m and constituted by a metal compound containing only one metal selected from the following metals: aluminum, silicon, and titanium; and an inorganic binder that reacts with the feedstock under the heat treatment conditions of the support in the range 1200.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C., so as to obtain a support having porosity greater than 25% and mechanical strength defined by ultimate bending stress for plane supports greater than 15 MPa, and by ultimate tensile stress for tubular supports greater than 5 MPa, without including a compound liable to create microcracks in the support.

Abstract: The invention consists in a method of making inorganic filter structures of the type consisting in:in shaping and baking a porous substrate;in depositing on the substrate a suspension containing at least one sinterable composition designed to constitute a filter layer after baking;in selecting, as the sinterable composition, a powder including at least aggregates made up of individual particles; andin destroying the aggregates contained in the sinterable composition in such a manner as to cause the composition to be composed essentially of individual particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inorganic element for filtering a fluid medium, in order to recover a filtrate. According to the invention, the inorganic filter element includes:radial partitions of constant thickness over their entire height, with a ratio of partition height over partition thickness being not greater than 8; andconnection fillets of radius lying in the range 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

Abstract: An inorganic filtration unit includes a filter element made up of an inorganic rigid porous support having a face covered with at least one separating layer, and an element for circulating a liquid medium containing particles to be separated therefrom which forms, together with the face of the filter element, a sheet of the liquid, the sheet having a height of between 0.1 and 3 mm and preferably between 0.2 and 1.5 mm.

Abstract: The invention concerns an inorganic filtration unit for a liquid medium (2) with a view to recovering a filtrate, the unit comprising at least one inorganic, rigid, porous structure (A), presenting first (a.sub.1) and second (a.sub.2) principal faces opposite each other, at least one cavity (4) being arranged in the structure at a distance from the two faces, defining bearings (6), the cavity or the principal faces being coated with at least one separating layer (3). According to the invention, the porous structure (A) comprises at least one channel (8) with tight walls opening out on the two faces (a.sub.1 and a.sub.2) and arranged to traverse a bearing (6), with a view to constituting a first circulation network (R.sub.1) tight with respect to the cavity (4).