Abstract: Provided are filtration systems that can be referred to as Pneumatic Alternating Cell Separator (PACS), useful components thereof in the form of assemblies or kits of parts that can be used to build the system, and use of the system for filtering fluids, for instance, in cell culture perfusion systems comprising a filter-containing chamber, an expansion chamber and a gas flow controller.

Abstract: A microfiltration membrane comprising (a) an asymmetric layer, (b) an isometric layer, and (c) an interface layer between the asymmetric layer and the isometric layer, the interface layer having a first portion contacting the asymmetric layer and a second portion contacting the isometric layer; wherein, (i) the asymmetric layer has a region contacting the first portion of the interface layer, the region including cells having a first porous structure; (ii) the isometric layer has a region contacting the second portion of the interface layer, the region including cells having a second porous structure; the first porous structure being larger than the second porous structure; and the first portion of the interface layer comprises cells having the first porous structure, and the second portion of the interface layer comprises cells having the second porous structure, and methods of making and using the membrane, are disclosed.

Abstract: A multi-ported vessel system includes an outer pressure vessel containing a plurality of flow distribution tubes, each of which comprises a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane elements aligned serially within each tube. The outer pressure vessel includes bypass flow paths whereby feed water flows around each of the tubes within the vessel. Slots are disposed in the flow distribution tubes at the upstream end of each RO membrane element such that feed water reaches all RO membrane elements of the tubes in parallel. The serial alignment of the membranes also allows for serial water processing also. A product water tube collects the purified water from the reverse osmosis elements and provides it to a product water port. Brine water is provided to an output port to be discarded of for further processing. The parallel processing of feed water by all membrane elements results in increased productivity and reduced costs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a resin porous membrane with an adhesive layer that exhibits excellent bonding precision and can be bonded to an adherend while maintaining the gas permeability of the porous membrane even when the porous membrane is small, and a method for producing the resin porous membrane with the adhesive layer. The present invention also provides the filter member including the resin porous membrane with the adhesive layer.

Abstract: The present invention includes a dehydration method comprising the steps of providing a distilled process-target fluid to a water separation membrane device via a heat exchanger; separating the process-target fluid into a dehydrated product and water by using the water separation membrane device; detecting a temperature of any one of the water separation membrane device and the process-target fluid supplied to the water separation membrane device by using a temperature monitoring device; and controlling the temperature of the process-target fluid so that the temperature of the distilled process-target fluid being maintained at a temperature higher than the condensation temperature of the distillate by 5 to 10° C. by using a temperature adjustment device provided in the water separation membrane device.

Abstract: Method for preparing a filtration membrane and a filtration membrane prepared by the method. According to one embodiment, the method involves casting a polymer solution onto a porous support to form a coated support. The coated support is then quenched to form a membrane/support composite, and the membrane/support composite is then dried. Next, a first end of a first piece of adhesive tape is applied to the membrane side of the composite, and the second end of the first piece of adhesive tape is applied to a first rotatable winder. In addition, a first end of a second piece of adhesive tape is applied to the support side of the composite, and the second end of the second piece of adhesive tape is applied to a second rotatable winder. The two winders are then rotated so as to pull apart the membrane from the support.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for liquid distillation which includes a vapor permeable-liquid impermeable microporous membrane having structures defining a plurality of pores, an oleophobic material that is applied to the structures of the membrane so as to leave the plurality of pores open, a means for supplying non-distilled liquid to the first side of the membrane, and a means for collecting distilled liquid from a second side of the membrane. In a further example, the present invention provides a method for the distillation of liquids.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane is produced through a thermally induced phase separation process by dissolving a highly hydrophilic polyamide resin in a high-boiling-point solvent such as an aprotic polar solvent at a temperature of not lower than 100° C. The hollow fiber membrane has a membrane surface having a water contact angle of not greater than 80 degrees, and has a water permeability of not less than 100 L/m2·atm·h and a 0.1-?m particle rejection percentage of not less than 90%.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane that can be used in treatment in various aqueous fluids such as water purification, beverage treatment, seawater clarification, and that has excellent fractionation characteristics and permeability, while deterioration of its performance due to passage of time is minimized, and that has excellent recovery of the membrane-separation characteristics by cleaning. The main feature of the hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane of the present invention is that the specific surface area of the membrane surface to which raw water is supplied falls within the range from not less than 1.10 to not greater than 1.55. The present invention also provides a process for producing a hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane, wherein a heat treatment is conducted under the condition that the membrane having a residual organic solvent content of not greater than 300 mg/g.

Abstract: Versions of the invention include compositions and methods for making them that include a polymeric porous membrane with one or more atmospheric pressure microwave plasma modified surfaces. The modified porous membrane is stable, non-dewetting, and retains its mechanical strength.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite hollow fiber capillary membrane in particular for exploiting the value of dialysate and a method for the production thereof as well as its use in particular in haemo and peritoneal dialysis.

Abstract: A device for isolating a component of a multi-component composition. The device includes a housing, a chamber, and a withdrawal port. The chamber is rotatably mounted within the housing. The chamber includes a chamber base and a sidewall. The side wall extends from the chamber base. At least a portion of the sidewall is defined by a filter that permits passage of a first component of the multi-component composition out of the chamber through the filter and to the housing base. The filter restricts passage of a second component of the multi-component composition through the filter. The withdrawal port extends from a position proximate to the housing base to an exterior of the device. The withdrawal port permits the withdrawal of the first component from the housing base to an exterior of the device.

Abstract: Use of a porous hollow fiber membrane for producing a clarified biomedical culture medium by a method including a filtration step of distributing a biomedical culture medium over the porous hollow fiber membrane, a tube wall of the hollow fiber membrane being constituted of a blend of a hydrophobic polymer and polyvinylpyrrolidone. A content of the polyvinylpyrrolidone is not lower than 0.2% by mass and not higher than 3% by mass relative to a total mass of the porous hollow fiber membrane, and, when the tube wall is divided in a membrane-thickness direction equally into three regions, a content of the polyvinylpyrrolidone in an outer circumferential region including an outer face is higher than a content of the polyvinylpyrrolidone in an inner circumferential region including an inner face, and an average pore size in the inner face is larger than an average pore size in the outer face.

Abstract: Composite membranes including a coating of polyalkylene oxide and oxy-substituted phenyl compounds along with various methods for making and using the same. In one embodiment, the composite membrane comprises a thin film polyamide layer including a coating of a reaction product of a polyalkylene oxide compound and an oxy-substituted phenyl compound. In another embodiment, the coating comprises a polymer including alkylene oxide repeating units and one or more oxy-substituted phenyl functional groups.

Abstract: High purity water produced by reverse osmosis. A feedwater is pretreated to remove hardness and non-hydroxide alkalinity, and the pH is raised to 8.5 or more to ionize solute species such as boron that are sparingly ionized when in neutral or near neutral pH aqueous solution. Ultrapure water resulting is suitable for industrial use.

Abstract: A hollow porous membrane with a reduced cost and excellent separation characteristic, water permeability, and mechanical strength and a process of producing the hollow porous membrane with an excellent adhesive property between a support and a porous membrane layer at a low cost are provided. The hollow porous membrane includes a porous membrane layer in which dense layers are disposed in the vicinities of an outer surface and an inner surface. In the process of producing the hollow porous membrane, membrane-forming dopes of a first membrane-forming dope and a second membrane-forming dope, which contain the material of the porous membrane layer and a solvent, are successively applied and stacked onto the outer circumferential surface of a hollow support and the applied membrane-forming dopes are simultaneously coagulated.

Abstract: An energy efficient desalination process that does not produce waste products involves the extraction of water from a first solution, such as seawater, by using a second concentrated solution to draw the water from the first solution across a semi-permeable membrane. By manipulating the equilibrium of the soluble and insoluble species of solute within the second solution in favor of the soluble species of the solute, a saturated second solution can be used to generate osmotic pressure on the first solution. Also, by adjusting the equilibrium in favor of the less soluble species after the water has been drawn from the first solution, a portion of the solute can easily be precipitated out. Heating the second solution decomposes the solute into its constituent gases. The constituent gases and precipitated solute may be recycled through the process to affect the changes in equilibrium and eliminate waste products.

Abstract: A membrane comprising a blend of a sulfonated poly(aryl ether) and a phenyl amine compound along with methods for making and using the same. Many additional embodiments are described including applications for such membranes.

Abstract: A separation module and method are disclosed for processing a liquid sample and providing high conversion by operating a single-pass tangential-flow process without a recirculation loop. In one embodiment, the separation module includes three reservoirs and has at least one long, thin channel with a large ratio of channel membrane area to: channel void volume; volume of a sample feed reservoir; and volume of the feed sample. In another embodiment, the separation module includes an external feed reservoir, an external retentate reservoir fluidly and a first vacuum source adapted to apply a first vacuum to the separation element disposed within the housing. The single-pass TFF separation element and single-pass process provides high conversion while operating with relatively low pressure sources. Certain embodiments disclosed herein can be used for the separation of blood.

Abstract: Disclosed is a porous membrane with high tensile strength, good elongation at break, and good water permeability, and a method for manufacturing the same. The porous membrane comprises a bead structure including plural spherical crystallites, wherein macro voids isolated from one another with the plural spherical crystallites are formed in an outer surface side of the porous membrane.