A process for the crystallisation of a water-soluble compound is disclosed. The process comprises (a) providing, in a crystallisation vessel, a solution of the water-soluble compound in a mixture of water and a solvent in which the water-soluble compound has a lower solubility than in water; (b) passing vapor phase of the mixture through a sorption zone containing a water vapor sorbent to selectively adsorb water from the vapor phase; (c) recycling a part of the vapor phase to the crystallisation vessel or withdrawing vapor phase depleted in water from the process and adding solvent to the crystallisation vessel; (d) allowing solid crystals of the water-soluble compound to precipitate from the solution; and (e) discharging precipitated solid crystals of the water-soluble compound from the crystallisation vessel and discharging a solution of non-crystallised water-soluble compound in water-solvent mixture from the crystallisation vessel.

A preparation method of lithium hydroxide includes the following steps: A. coprecipitating a lithium extraction mother solution of salt lake brine with an aluminum salt solution and a sodium hydroxide solution, aging and then performing solid-liquid separation, washing and drying to obtain lithium aluminum hydrotalcite; B. acidifying the lithium aluminum hydrotalcite to obtain a lithium aluminate solution; C. performing nanofiltration on the lithium aluminate solution for lithium-aluminum separation, and sequentially performing primary concentration by reverse osmosis to obtain a primary concentrated lithium-rich solution; D. deeply removing aluminum from the lithium-rich solution to obtain an aluminum-removed lithium-rich solution; E. performing bipolar membrane electrodialysis on the aluminum-removed lithium-rich solution to obtain a secondary concentrated lithium-rich solution; F. evaporating the secondary concentrated lithium-rich solution for concentration to obtain lithium hydroxide.

Compositions and methods for the isolation of protein-nucleic acid complexes and microvesicles (collectively referred to as “bioparticles”) released by mammalian cells into body fluids or cell culture media are provided. Isolated bioparticles of the invention contain biological molecules that are useful as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers or for identification of therapeutic targets (e.g., disease or disorder-associated miRNAs). The isolation of biological molecules as described herein results in purification and concentration of the molecules. Methods for producing bio fluids that are free of detectable bioparticles, that are largely depleted of bioparticles, or that possess a reduced concentration of bioparticles compared to a bio fluid starting material (collectively termed “bioparticle-depleted”) are also provided. Isolation of bioparticle-depleted biofluid is useful, e.g., in experimental systems where it is desirable to use a biofluid that does not contain endogenous bioparticles, or has been substantially depleted of endogenous bioparticles, from the source material.

The present invention relates to the distillation and crystallization of feed water. In particular, the present invention relates to the distillation and crystallization of industrial wastewater or saline or brackish water. The present invention relates to both an apparatus and method for carrying out the distillation. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a distillation apparatus comprising: (a) an crystalliser for evaporating a feed water to produce water vapour; (b) adsorption means in vapour communication with the crystalliser for reversibly adsorbing the water vapour from the crystalliser; and (c) desorbing means for desorbing the adsorbed water vapour from the adsorption means, wherein the crystalliser evaporates the feed water under pressure that is substantially lower than atmospheric pressure to form a concentrated solution or slurry comprising crystallised solids.

The present invention is a process, a method, and system for recovery and concentration of dissolved ammonium bicarbonate from a wastewater containing ammonia (NH3) using gas separation, condensation, and crystallization, each at controlled operating temperatures. The present invention includes 1) removal of ammonia from waste (sludges, semi-solids, and solids and liquids) without the use of chemicals at a temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius, 2) condensing the gaseous containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor to remove water vapor concentrating the amount of gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide, 3) concentrating the ammonia and carbon dioxide in the water by established means, such as concentrating the gas using partial condensation followed by passing the concentrated gas through an absorption column at a temperature of between about 20 and 50 degrees Celsius to form dissolved ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate, or total condensation followed by dewatering using reverse osmosis, and 4) crystallizing concentrated dissolved ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate at a temperature of less than about 35 degrees Celsius to form solid ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate.

The present invention is a process, a method, and system for recovery and concentration of dissolved ammonium bicarbonate from a wastewater containing ammonia (NH3) using gas separation, condensation, and crystallization, each at controlled operating temperatures. The present invention includes 1) removal of ammonia from waste (sludges, semi-solids, and solids and liquids) without the use of chemicals at a temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius, 2) condensing the gaseous containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor to remove water vapor concentrating the amount of gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide, 3) concentrating the ammonia and carbon dioxide in the water by established means, such as concentrating the gas using partial condensation followed by passing the concentrated gas through an absorption column at a temperature of between about 20 and 50 degrees Celsius to form dissolved ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate, or total condensation followed by dewatering using reverse osmosis, and 4) crystallizing concentrated dissolved ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate at a temperature of less than about 35 degrees Celsius to form solid ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate.

A method includes introducing a biomass and a solvent into an extraction vessel to form a mixture, controlling process conditions to increase extraction of target cannabinoids and decrease extraction of impurities, the process conditions including at least one of temperature, solvent composition, and agitation, moving the mixture from the extraction vessel to a separation vessel through a filtration system, balancing a solvent-solute ratio of the mixture as needed, crystallizing the target cannabinoids from the mixture in the separation vessel to produce cannabinoid crystals, separating a mother liquor out of the separation vessel, recovering any residual solvent, and removing the cannabinoid crystals from the vessel.

A method includes introducing a biomass and a solvent into an extraction vessel to form a mixture, controlling process conditions to increase extraction of target cannabinoids and decrease extraction of impurities, the process conditions including at least one of temperature, solvent composition, and agitation, moving the mixture from the extraction vessel to a separation vessel through a filtration system, balancing a solvent-solute ratio of the mixture as needed, crystallizing the target cannabinoids from the mixture in the separation vessel to produce cannabinoid crystals, separating a mother liquor out of the separation vessel, recovering any residual solvent, and removing the cannabinoid crystals from the vessel.

Process for making solid methylglycine diacetate (MGDA) alkali metal salt (a), said process comprising the steps of (A) providing a 35 to 60% by weight aqueous solution of said MGDA salt having a temperature in the range of from 50 to 90° C., (B) adding 0.01 to 2% by weight of a particulate solid with a pore volume in the range of from 0.25 to 0.75 cm.sup.3/g, determined by nitrogen adsorption in accordance with 66134:1998-02 (b), the percentage referring to the content of (a), (C) crystallizing (a), (D) removing said crystalline (a) from the mother liquor.

A process for synthesis of urea from CO.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 wherein a steam flow (13) produced in the condenser (3) of a high-pressure synthesis loop is compressed to raise its pressure and temperature before using the steam as a heat source for a downstream step of the process.