Abstract: An immiscible lipophilic or hydrophilic liquid phase separated respectively from a continuous hydrophilic phase or a lipophilic phase liquid. Fibers having hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are formed into a filter. The separation mechanism involves capture of small droplets of the immiscible phase, coalescence of the small droplets into larger droplets as the immiscible liquid flows through the fiber filter, and release of the large immiscible droplets from the filter. Regarding separation of a hydrophilic immiscible fluid such as water in a lipophilic continuous fluid such as oil, the hydrophobic fibers cause small water droplets to migrate towards the hydrophilic fibers whereby large droplets form on hydrophilic surface. The large droplets stay on hydrophilic fiber surface for extended periods of time and continue to coalescence until they are so large that they can no longer be maintained by the hydrophilic fibers and are released and drained off of the filter.

Abstract: A fluid deionizer includes at least one graphene sheet perforated with apertures dimensioned to allow a flow of fluid and to disallow at least one particular type of ion contained in the flow of fluid. A purge valve is placed in an open position so as to collect the at least one particular type of ion disallowed by the graphene sheet so as to clean off the at least one graphene sheet. Another embodiment provides a deionizer with graphene sheets in cylindrical form. A separation apparatus is also provided in a cross-flow arrangement where a pressurized source directs a medium along a path substantially parallel to at least one sheet of graphene from an inlet to an outlet. The medium flows through the plural perforated apertures while a remaining portion of the medium and the disallowed components in the medium flow out the outlet.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide forming various polycycloalkyl polynorbornene polymers and copolymers which are useful for forming pervaporation membranes, the membranes themselves and methods of making such membranes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for fabricating a polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane with improved mechanical strength for water treatment by electrospinning. According to exemplary embodiments, the polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane possesses higher mechanical strength than conventional polyethersulfone nanofiber membranes that are susceptible to damage and limited in life when applied to water treatment processes. In addition, the polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane has high water permeability and can remove contaminants with high efficiency compared to conventional membranes for water treatment. Therefore, the polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane is suitable for use in water treatment.

Abstract: A water desalination mechanism, including: a running pipe, for fresh water; a venturi arrangement, having a first venturi nozzle, a second venturi nozzle and a branch between; the first and second nozzles; a container divided by a reverse osmosis membrane into a first side and a second side and having: a first side inlet, for contaminated water; a first side outlet, for remaining salts and/or minerals; and a second side outlet, for desalinated water.

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 method for use in the manufacture of a filtration article includes providing a porous, fluoropolymer membrane, and applying a force to at least a portion of a first side surface of the membrane to modify the first side surface. The applied force may have a non-normal directional component relative to the first side surface. The surface modification may increase the density of the modified surface and/or reduce the porosity of the modified surface. Particle retention capabilities are thereby enhanced across the modified surface while maintaining permeability across the volume of the membrane.

Abstract: A process for treatment of water. Hardness and non-hydroxide alkalinity are removed from feedwaters in amounts to substantially avoid scaling when concentrated. Sparingly ionizable components in the feedwater are urged toward increased ionization by increasing the pH of the feedwater, and, in an embodiment, up to about pH 10.5, or higher. In this manner, species such as silica become highly ionized, and (a) their rejection by membranes used in the process is significantly increased, and (b) their solubility in the reject stream from the membrane process is significantly increased. Sparingly ionized species such as boron, silica, and TOC are highly rejected, and thus, their passage through the membrane is reduced by a factor of ten or more. Recovery ratios of ninety percent (90%) or higher are achievable with many feedwaters, while simultaneously achieving a substantial reduction in cleaning frequency of membranes used in the process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating water laden with pollutants for the purpose of making the water drinkable, said method including: an elimination step consisting of contacting said water laden with pollutants, within a stirred contact tank (2), with an active particulate material (19) using a predetermined concentration of the active particulate material (19) in said water; an extraction step consisting of continuously extracting from said contact tank (2) a mixture consisting of water and of active particulate material (19); a separation step consisting of continuously separating said active particulate material (19) from said mixture. According to the invention, the separation step consists in particular of feeding the mixture of water and active particulate material into a filter drum (4).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reverse osmosis membrane including: a porous support; and a polyamide active layer formed on the porous support and including zeolite, surface-treated with a compound having at least one functional group selected from a group consisting of an amino group and a glycidyl group, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Abstract: A porous membrane patterning technique is provided. In one embodiment, a porous membrane may be patterned via printing on the porous membrane with a solvent such that the porous membrane collapses where the solvent is applied. In another embodiment, a patterned porous membrane may be formed by casting a solution including at least components of the porous membrane into voids of a casting plate or stencil, removing the casting plate, and letting the remaining components go through a phase inversion process to form porous membrane regions.

Abstract: A desalination system (1) for producing a distillate from a feed liquid includes: a steam raising device (2) having a liquid section (5) and a steam section (6) which are separated by a membrane system (7); a membrane distillation device (3) having a first steam section (11) and a liquid section (12) which are separated by a wall (14) and having a second steam section (13) which is separated from the liquid section (12) by a membrane system (15); and a heat exchange device (4) having a first liquid section (21) and a second liquid section (22), which are separated by a wall (23).

Abstract: Asymmetric membranes comprising a first asymmetric porous zone including a first porous asymmetry that increases from the first exterior surface through the first porous zone of the bulk, and a second asymmetric porous zone including a second porous asymmetry that increases from the second exterior surface through the second porous zone of the bulk, wherein the first average pore size is larger than the second average pore size, as well as methods of making and using the membranes, are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for preparing an aromatic polyamide porous hollow fiber membrane firstly premixes PPTA resin, solvent, composite pore-forming agents and inorganic particles in a stirring vessel to form casting solution, secondly injects the casting solution into a double-screw extruder to be fully dissolved under the effect of shear force and enters a spinneret via a metering pump. The PPTA hollow fiber membranes are prepared by the dry-wet spinning method, which solves the problems that hard pore-forming and low porosity in the preparation process of PPTA porous membrane. Utilization of the double-screw extruder is capable of greatly shortening the dissolved time and the deaeration time. Meanwhile the increase of PPTA in casting solution also improves mechanical properties of the PPTA membrane. The addition of the inorganic particles improves mechanical toughness and enhance pure water flux, hydrophilia and rejection rate.

Abstract: A filter element for filtering a liquid medium has end plates and a filter material arranged between the end plates and flowed through by the liquid medium in a flow direction radial to a longitudinal axis of the filter element. A clean chamber is arranged in the flow direction downstream of the filter material and connected with an outlet of the filter element. A bypass duct for the liquid medium is provided that is fluidically connected by a bypass valve with the clean chamber. The bypass duct has an inlet in the first end plate. A support device is integrally formed on the first end plate and extends along the longitudinal axis away from the first end plate into the filter element interior. A sieve in the bypass duct separates solid materials from the liquid medium passing through the bypass duct. The sieve is attached to the support device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure having a superhydrophobic and amphiphilic (oleophilic) surface and a fabrication method thereof. A polymer surface body disclosed herein may include high aspect ratio nanostructures on a surface thereof, wherein an aspect ration of the high aspect ratio nanostructure is 1 to 100, and may include a hydrophobic thin film on the high aspect ratio nanostructure. A method of fabricating a polymer surface body disclosed herein may include performing a surface modification treatment on a polymer to form a high aspect ratio nanostructure having an aspect ration of 1 to 100, and forming a hydrophobic thin film on a surface containing the nanostructures.

Abstract: A heat exchange system may include a first heat exchange circuit and a second heat exchange circuit. The first heat exchange circuit may circulate a first working fluid sequentially through a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a membrane contactor. The second heat exchange circuit may direct a second working fluid sequentially through the first heat exchanger and the membrane contactor, where the second working fluid includes solute and solvent. The first heat exchanger and the membrane contactor may transfer heat energy from the second working fluid to the first working fluid, and the second heat exchanger may transfer heat energy from the first working fluid to a third working fluid. The membrane contactor may extract a portion of the solvent from the second working fluid.

Abstract: Draw solutions comprising at least one N-cyclicalkyl-cycloalkylamine and a secondary solvent. The N-cyclicalkyl-cycloalkylamine comprises the chemical structure: wherein n is 0, 1, or 2, n? is 0, 1, or 2, and each of R1-R6 is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an acetyl group, an aryl group, a hydrogen group, a hydroxyl group, and a phosphorus-containing group. Methods of treating a liquid using the draw solution are also disclosed.

Abstract: A filtration membrane (4) including a porous base layer (8) arranged adjacent to a filtration layer (6) having pores (10) extending through the filtration layer (6) is provided. The filtration layer is electrically conductive and at least one compound (24, 26) is attached on the filtration layer (6), thereby providing a protective surface layer (40). The at least one compound (24, 26) is configured to be at least partially cleaved off of the filtration layer (6) by a predefined cleave-off process.

Abstract: In a desalination system, water is treated, for example by reverse osmosis, to produce desalinated product water and a reject stream. Salt from the reject stream is transferred to a flow of low salinity wastewater, such as effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. For example, the reject stream may be fed to the high salinity cell in an electrodialysis (ED) unit. The adjacent low salinity cell receives the low salinity wastewater. The high salinity and low salinity cells are separated by ion exchange membranes. The salty wastewater is discharged, for example to the ocean. The salt-reduced reject stream is treated to extract more product water from it, for example by recycling it to the feed water. Less feed water is needed to produce a given volume of product water. If a thermal desalination unit is combined with divalent ion selective ion exchange membranes, then scaling is reduced.