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 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).