Abstract: This forward-osmosis composite hollow fiber membrane module has hollow fiber bundles, wherein: the hollow fibers are each such that a separation active layer of a high-molecular polymer thin film is provided on the inner surface of a macroporous hollow fiber support film formed from a high-molecular polymer including polyketone; the film surface area of the hollow fiber bundles is 100 cm2 or greater; and the coefficient of variation of the average thickness of the separation active layer in the radial and thickness directions of the hollow fiber bundle is 0-60%, said coefficient being calculated through a method for measuring the mass of the separation active layer portion in a scanning electron microscope image in which a thickness-direction cross section of the separation active layer is imaged.

Abstract: A membrane distillation device, provided with a membrane distillation module including a plurality of hydrophobic porous hollow fiber membranes, and a condenser for condensing water vapor extracted from the module. The average pore diameter of the porous hollow fiber is 0.01-1 ?m. The filling ratio of the porous hollow fiber of the membrane distillation module is 10-80%, and the pressure condition for the membrane distillation is equal to or greater than 1 kPa and equal to or less than the saturated vapor pressure of water at the temperature of the water being treated.

Abstract: Provided is a supporting method of supporting concentration of maple sap in production of a maple syrup liquid, the supporting method including: acquiring current sap information including current color information and a current sugar content of the maple sap; and outputting predicted color information indicating a color of the maple syrup liquid predicted based on the current sap information and a target sugar content of a concentrated liquid obtained by concentrating the maple sap.

Abstract: Provided are a composite forward osmosis membrane and a membrane module containing same. The composite forward osmosis membrane reduces salt back-diffusion and has high water-permeability, or is made of readily available materials and can be easily manufactured. Even when used at high pressure, separation between a substrate membrane support layer and an active separation layer does not occur in the composite forward osmosis membrane, and thus the composite forward osmosis membrane exhibits stable high performance.

Abstract: A membrane distillation device, provided with a membrane distillation module including a plurality of hydrophobic porous hollow fiber membranes, and a condenser for condensing water vapor extracted from the module. The average pore diameter of the porous hollow fiber is 0.01-1 ?m. The filling ratio of the porous hollow fiber of the membrane distillation module is 10-80%, and the pressure condition for the membrane distillation is equal to or greater than 1 kPa and equal to or less than the saturated vapor pressure of water at the temperature of the water being treated.

Abstract: Methods of producing a deformed porous hollow fiber membrane by thermally induced phase separation, particularly by discharging a fusion kneaded product containing a thermoplastic resin and an organic liquid through an orifice of a hollow fiber-forming deformed nozzle; cooling and solidifying the fusion kneaded product discharged through the deformed nozzle to form the product into a hollow fiber-like material having a deformed cross section at a cross section vertical to a discharging direction; and extracting away the organic liquid from the hollow fiber-like material to obtain the deformed porous hollow fiber membrane, wherein an inorganic fine powder is kneaded in the fusion kneaded product.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber membrane that is suitable for treatment of liquid containing an inorganic substance and/or an organic substance, is obtained at a low cost performance, and has high water permeability performance, fretting resistance, and drying resistance. A deformed porous hollow fiber membrane according to the present invention is composed of a thermoplastic resin and includes a continuous asperity provided on the periphery in the longitudinal direction of the membrane, in which the periphery of the hollow fiber membrane in the circumferential direction includes continuous projected and depressed parts.

Abstract: Methods of producing a deformed porous hollow fiber membrane by thermally induced phase separation, particularly by discharging a fusion kneaded product containing a thermoplastic resin and an organic liquid through an orifice of a hollow fiber-forming deformed nozzle; cooling and solidifying the fusion kneaded product discharged through the deformed nozzle to form the product into a hollow fiber-like material having a deformed cross section at a cross section vertical to a discharging direction; and extracting away the organic liquid from the hollow fiber-like material to obtain the deformed porous hollow fiber membrane, wherein an inorganic fine powder is kneaded in the fusion kneaded product.

Abstract: The present invention provides a PVDF porous film and method for producing it, which has high water permeability and high chemical resistance to washing chemicals and the like that has been difficult to realize with conventional polymer porous films, and which can be used over a prolonged period of time, and a method of producing the same and the like. Namely, the present invention provides a porous film in which the degree of crystallization of the PVDF resin is 50% or more but not more than 90%, and the product of the degree of crystallization of the PVDF resin and the specific surface area of the film is 300 (%·m2/g) or more but not more than 2000 (%·m2/g).

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a protein-adsorbing material having both adsorption capacity and high-speed treatment performance applicable to not only analysis use but also industrial use, in balance, and to provide a method for producing the same. The present invention provides a protein-adsorbing material comprising a polymer base-material, a polymer side-chain immobilized to the surface of the polymer base-material and a functional group having protein adsorption ability and immobilized to the polymer side-chain, in which the mass of the polymer side-chain is 5 to 30% relative to the mass of the polymer base-material.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber membrane that is suitable for treatment of liquid containing an inorganic substance and/or an organic substance, is obtained at a low cost performance, and has high water permeability performance, fretting resistance, and drying resistance. A deformed porous hollow fiber membrane according to the present invention is composed of a thermoplastic resin and includes a continuous asperity provided on the periphery in the longitudinal direction of the membrane, in which the periphery of the hollow fiber membrane in the circumferential direction includes continuous projected and depressed parts.

Abstract: There is provided a twin-belt casting machine which prevents an uneven cooling condition between the top surface and the bottom surface of a slab between a pair of endless belts disposed vertically. The twin-belt casting machine 1 comprises a pair of rotating belt units 3 including respective endless belts 2 and arranged up and down so as to face each other, a cavity 4 formed between the pair of rotating belt units 3, and cooling means 10 which is arranged inside the rotating belt unit 3. The twin-belt casting machine 1 continuously casts a slab S as a metal liquid is supplied in the cavity 4. The twin-belt casting machine 1 further comprises distance adjusting means which is arranged inside at least one of the pair of rotating belt units arranged up and down so as to face each other, and which moves apart or closer the endless belt relative to the slab S in accordance with a part where the slab and the endless belt become distant from each other.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber membrane which has high blocking performance and high water permeability suitable for filtration and the like and exhibits excellent strength, and a process for stably producing the porous hollow fiber membrane are disclosed. The process utilizes a hollow fiber molding nozzle having two or more circular discharge ports which are disposed concentrically. Multilayer melt-extrusion is performed by discharging molten mixtures which include a thermoplastic resin and an organic liquid and differ in composition from the adjacent discharge ports. The resulting product is cooled to solidify to obtain a hollow fiber. The organic liquid is then removed from the hollow fiber by extraction to produce a porous hollow fiber membrane. The molten mixture discharged from at least one circular discharge port includes an inorganic fine powder in addition to the thermoplastic resin and the organic liquid. The inorganic fine powder is removed by extraction after cooling in addition to the organic liquid.

Abstract: A method for membrane filtration purification of suspended water, comprising filtering the suspended water under an external pressure through a porous hollow fiber membrane comprising a polyolefin, a copolymer of olefin and halogenated olefin, halogenated polyolefin or a mixture thereof and having an open area ratio in an outer surface of not less than 20% and a pore diameter in a minimum pore diameter layer of not smaller than 0.03 ?m and not larger than 1 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided a twin-belt casting machine which prevents an uneven cooling condition between the top surface and the bottom surface of a slab between a pair of endless belts disposed vertically. The twin-belt casting machine 1 comprises a pair of rotating belt units 3 including respective endless belts 2 and arranged up and down so as to face each other, a cavity 4 formed between the pair of rotating belt units 3, and cooling means 10 which is arranged inside the rotating belt unit 3. The twin-belt casting machine 1 continuously casts a slab S as a metal liquid is supplied in the cavity 4. The twin-belt casting machine 1 further comprises distance adjusting means which is arranged inside at least one of the pair of rotating belt units arranged up and down so as to face each other, and which moves apart or closer the endless belt relative to the slab S in accordance with a part where the slab and the endless belt become distant from each other.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a protein-adsorbing material having both adsorption capacity and high-speed treatment performance applicable to not only analysis use but also industrial use, in balance, and to provide a method for producing the same. The present invention provides a protein-adsorbing material comprising a polymer base-material, a polymer side-chain immobilized to the surface of the polymer base-material and a functional group having protein adsorption ability and immobilized to the polymer side-chain, in which the mass of the polymer side-chain is 5 to 30% relative to the mass of the polymer base-material.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber membrane which has high blocking performance and high water permeability suitable for filtration and the like and exhibits excellent strength, and a process for stably producing the porous hollow fiber membrane are disclosed. The process utilizes a hollow fiber molding nozzle having two or more circular discharge ports which are disposed concentrically. Multilayer melt-extrusion is performed by discharging molten mixtures which include a thermoplastic resin and an organic liquid and differ in composition from the adjacent discharge ports. The resulting product is cooled to solidify to obtain a hollow fiber. The organic liquid is then removed from the hollow fiber by extraction to produce a porous hollow fiber membrane. The molten mixture discharged from at least one circular discharge port includes an inorganic fine powder in addition to the thermoplastic resin and the organic liquid. The inorganic fine powder is removed by extraction after cooling in addition to the organic liquid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a PVDF porous film, which has high water permeability and high chemical resistance to washing chemicals and the like that has been difficult to realize with conventional polymer porous films, and which can be used over a prolonged period of time; and a method of producing the same and the like. Namely, the present invention provides a porous film in which the degree of crystallization of the PVDF resin is 50% or more but not more than 90%, and the product of the degree of crystallization of the PVDF resin and the specific surface area of the film is 300 (%·m2/g) or more but not more than 2000 (%·m2/g).

Abstract: A method for membrane filtration purification of suspended water, comprising filtering the suspended water under an external pressure through a porous hollow fiber membrane comprising a polyolefin, a copolymer of olefin and halogenated olefin, halogenated polyolefin or a mixture thereof and having an open area ratio in an outer surface of not less than 20% and a pore diameter in a minimum pore diameter layer of not smaller than 0.03 ?m and not larger than 1 ?m.

Abstract: A method for membrane filtration purification of suspended water, comprising filtering the suspended water under an external pressure through a porous hollow fiber membrane comprising a polyolefin, a copolymer of olefin and halogenated olefin, halogenated polyolefin or a mixture thereof and having an open area ratio in an outer surface of not less than 20% and a pore diameter in a minimum pore diameter layer of not smaller than 0.03 &mgr;m and not larger than 1 &mgr;m.