Disclosed herein are systems and methods of depolymerizing a lignin component of a lignin-containing material. The method comprising contacting the lignin-containing material with a solvent and optionally a catalyst at a temperature in the range of 180-300° C. and at a maximum operating pressure of less than 10 barG during the depolymerization of the lignin component of the material and collecting at least one volatile stream comprising one or more depolymerized lignin products. In an embodiment, the step of contacting is carried out in a reactive distillation reactor, and the step of collecting comprises concurrently collecting at least one volatile stream via distillation apparatus connected to the reactive distillation reactor, at least one of the one or more depolymerized lignin products comprises a substituted phenol having the following general formula: (I) wherein R.sub.1 is H, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, propenyl, or allyl, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently selected from H or methoxy group.

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Disclosed herein are systems and methods of depolymerizing a lignin component of a lignin-containing material. The method comprising contacting the lignin-containing material with a solvent and optionally a catalyst at a temperature in the range of 180-300° C. and at a maximum operating pressure of less than 10 barG during the depolymerization of the lignin component of the material and collecting at least one volatile stream comprising one or more depolymerized lignin products. In an embodiment, the step of contacting is carried out in a reactive distillation reactor, and the step of collecting comprises concurrently collecting at least one volatile stream via distillation apparatus connected to the reactive distillation reactor, at least one of the one or more depolymerized lignin products comprises a substituted phenol having the following general formula: (I) wherein R.sub.1 is H, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, propenyl, or allyl, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently selected from H or methoxy group.

##STR00001##

Methods and systems for recovering retained filtered fluid are provided.

A system for the disposal of liquid waste includes a portable container body having an open interior and a liquid waste inlet for receiving liquid waste containing solids. A liquid waste holding tank is provided within the open interior of the portable container body for receiving the liquid waste from the liquid waste inlet. A liquid-solid separator within the open interior of the portable container body produces a solid waste and a separated liquid waste. A conduit directs the liquid waste from the liquid waste holding tank to the liquid-solid separator. An evaporator within the open interior of the portable container body heats the separated liquid waste to evaporate and remove water from the separated liquid waste as water vapor and produces a concentrated liquid waste. A safety containment system prevents the liquid waste from escaping to the environment. A method for disposing of liquid waste is also disclosed.

A fuel-water separator includes a cartridge assembly and a bowl. The cartridge assembly receives a fuel-water mixture and provides a fuel. The cartridge assembly includes an endplate. The bowl is configured to store water separated from the fuel-water mixture. The bowl is coupled to the endplate. The endplate includes an air vent that receives air from the bowl. The air vent establishes a pressure equilibrium within the bowl and the cartridge assembly.

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the “as collected” condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (i.e. mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The sample preparation and chemical analysis sub-systems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples. A soil collection system is disclosed which captures and directs samples to the sampling system for processing.

The present disclosure is directed to providing an oil-water separation filter structure including a base guide having a separated water outlet hole through which a fluid separated from a mixed fluid including an impurity exits, an oil-water separation filter disposed on the base guide to separate the impurity and the fluid included in the mixed liquid, and a top guide disposed on the oil-water separation filter, having at least one mixed fluid inlet hole through which the mixed fluid enters, and coupled to the base guide. According to the present disclosure, the oil-water separation filter structure includes a hydrophilic material to separate water and oil, and as opposed to the existing nonwoven fabric type filters, can be continuously used, thereby preventing environmental pollution problems.

A filter device may include a filter housing and a filter element defining a longitudinal axis disposed in the filter housing. The filter element may be configured to be penetrated by a fluid flow in a radial direction from a raw end to a pure end of the filter element. A water separator may be disposed at the pure end of the filter element and arranged axially spaced from the same. The water separator may have a hydrophobic and annular diaphragm extending in an axial direction of the filter element configured to be penetrated by the fluid flow from a raw end of the water separator in a radially outward to a radially inward direction with respect to the longitudinal axis to separate water from the fluid flow.

A Filter for the removal of water from oil, the filter includes a distillation element having an inlet pipe that in one end is to be fluidly connectable to a reservoir of oil to be filtered, and in the other end being fluidly connected to a distillation head, said distillation head including a plurality of compressing tubes for injecting under pressure said oil into an evaporation chamber, whereby eventual water within the oil droplet evaporates from said decompressed oil, the filter further including a tubular core with a plurality of apertures and a hollow interior, said core having an open end for fluid communication with the hollow interior, a length of yarn wound around an outer surface of the core, wherein the filter further includes a device for blowing air or an inert gas into the evaporation chamber for removal of the water vapor during use of the filter. A method of manufacturing such a filter, as well as a method of removing water of is also disclosed. The water removal unit is part of a modular system, which makes the whole filter unit scalable within fixed steps. When water removing block with attached start block and end block, are stacked upon each other, and connected to filter unit, it becomes scalable complete cleaning equipment. Pump and motor must be adapted to each configuration.

A filter for gravity-fed applications, having filter media with a hollow center, the filter being generally prone to a degradation or cessation in fluid flow due to air entrapment or air lock within the filter housing cavity, which develops during filtering. A diffuser element is introduced to pierce the entrapped air bubble, the diffuser element being an elongated structure connected to the filter housing top end cap and extending through the entrapped air bubble to the filter media.