Hybrid membrane separation systems
First Claim
1. A method including a combination of membrane separations for the removal of solvent and solute from a process stream containing a solvent and at least one solute with less membrane surface area than would be required for the component membrane separations of said combination or with greater separation than that obtainable with the component membrane separations having the same membrane surface area, said method including a combination consisting essentially of the component membrane separations of(a) providing a solvent removal process for selectively removing solvent from said process stream, said solvent removal process forming a solvent-rich portion and a solvent-poor portion and being selected from the membrane processes of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, membrane distillation and pervaporation,(b) providing at least one selective solute removal process for selectively removing solute from said process stream, said selective solute removal process forming a solute-rich portion and a solute-poor portion and being selected from the membrane processes of pervaporation, supported-liquid membranes, coupled transport, and membrane contactors, and(c) providing said solvent removal process and said selective solute removal process as a part of a recycle stream having either of the following relationships:
- (1) the solute-poor portion of the selective solute removal process comprises the feed for the solvent removal process and the solvent-poor portion of the solvent removal process is combined with the process stream to form the feed to the selective solute removal process;
or(2) the solvent-poor portion of the solvent removal process comprises the feed for the selective solute removal process and the solute-poor portion of the selective solute removal process is combined with the process stream to form the feed to the solvent removal process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Hybrid membrane-based separation systems are disclosed that are useful in separating solvents and solutes. The hybrid systems combine any of the solvent removal processes reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, membrane distillation and pervaporation with any one of more of the solute removal processes utilizing pervaporation membranes, supported-liquid membranes, coupled transport membranes, and membrane contactors, the solvent and solute removal processes forming part of a recycle stream that utilizes membrane separation retentates as feeds and as recycle feed stream make-up.
52 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method including a combination of membrane separations for the removal of solvent and solute from a process stream containing a solvent and at least one solute with less membrane surface area than would be required for the component membrane separations of said combination or with greater separation than that obtainable with the component membrane separations having the same membrane surface area, said method including a combination consisting essentially of the component membrane separations of
(a) providing a solvent removal process for selectively removing solvent from said process stream, said solvent removal process forming a solvent-rich portion and a solvent-poor portion and being selected from the membrane processes of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, membrane distillation and pervaporation, (b) providing at least one selective solute removal process for selectively removing solute from said process stream, said selective solute removal process forming a solute-rich portion and a solute-poor portion and being selected from the membrane processes of pervaporation, supported-liquid membranes, coupled transport, and membrane contactors, and (c) providing said solvent removal process and said selective solute removal process as a part of a recycle stream having either of the following relationships: -
(1) the solute-poor portion of the selective solute removal process comprises the feed for the solvent removal process and the solvent-poor portion of the solvent removal process is combined with the process stream to form the feed to the selective solute removal process;
or(2) the solvent-poor portion of the solvent removal process comprises the feed for the selective solute removal process and the solute-poor portion of the selective solute removal process is combined with the process stream to form the feed to the solvent removal process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification