Acoustic forces in an acoustic field can be increased via introduction of “seeding particles” with higher or similar contrast factor and/or size relative to the particles targeted for retention in the acoustic field. This feature may be implemented in an acoustic concentration device or an acoustic separation device. Increases in acoustic forces lead to better particle retention and can permit increased flow rates through an acoustic particle processing device.

Acoustic forces in an acoustic field can be increased via introduction of “seeding particles” with higher or similar contrast factor and/or size relative to the particles targeted for retention in the acoustic field. This feature may be implemented in an acoustic concentration device or an acoustic separation device. Increases in acoustic forces lead to better particle retention and can permit increased flow rates through an acoustic particle processing device.

A microfluidic control system and method for separating flexible particles such as cell vesicles or biomacromolecules such as exosomes in a sample. The system of the present invention comprises one or more ultrahigh frequency acoustic resonators. The ultrahigh frequency acoustic resonators are capable of generating in a fluid channel an acoustic wave of which the frequency is about 0.5-50 GHz and propagated towards a wall opposite the fluid channel. By adjusting the power of the generated acoustic wave and/or the speed at which a conditioning solution flows through an acoustic wave area, flexible particles in a specified range are pushed to and remain at the top part of the flow channel in the acoustic wave area, while flexible particles outside of the specified range go downstream via the acoustic wave area to be collected, thus capturing or releasing the flexible particles in a solution such as cell vesicles or biomacromolecules, particularly exosomes.

A textile recycling method receives textile-waste-to-be-recycled, sorts the waste to isolate cellulose-containing articles from non-cellulose-containing articles, and re-sizes at least some of the cellulose-containing articles to create feedstock. The feedstock is processed in a cellulose solvent reactor, which has at least one ionic liquid. The ionic liquid dissolves intermolecular cellulose bonds of the feedstock to create a spinning dope. Cellulose fibers dissolved in the cellulose-bearing spinning dope solution are extruded in a cellulose coagulation bath reservoir to reconstitute at least some of the cellulose fibers, and the reconstituted fibers are wet-spun to form a continuous cellulose thread that is commercially indistinguishable from virgin fiber thread. Synthetic fiber material is vacuum-extracted or mechanically extracted from the cellulose-bearing solution and recycled into a continuous synthetic thread. Original color of textile-waste-to-be-recycled can be retained or removed, and new color can be added.

A fluid device includes: a flow path through which a fluid flows; and an ultrasonic wave application device including an ultrasonic element that transmits an ultrasonic wave, in which the flow path has, as flow path wall surfaces, an ultrasonic wave application surface that applies, to the fluid, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic element, and a reflection surface that reflects the ultrasonic wave applied to the fluid from the ultrasonic wave application surface, and the reflection surface has a concave curved surface shape.

A fluid device includes: a flow path through which a fluid flows; and an ultrasonic wave application device including an ultrasonic element that transmits an ultrasonic wave, in which the flow path has, as flow path wall surfaces, an ultrasonic wave application surface that applies, to the fluid, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic element, and a reflection surface that reflects the ultrasonic wave applied to the fluid from the ultrasonic wave application surface, and the reflection surface has a concave curved surface shape.

Methods of dewatering viscous materials are provided. The method comprises contacting the viscous material with pressurized carbon dioxide at a temperature and for a time wherein at least a fraction of water is expressed from the viscous material. Then the pressure is released, and the water expressed from the viscous material is removed to yield a dewatered product. Exemplary viscous materials that can be dewatered by the method include black liquor from wood pulping operations, wet lignin, wet super water absorbent polymers and sugar solutions. The pressurized carbon dioxide is present in subcritical or supercritical form. The method provides dewatering at reduced cost.

Methods of dewatering viscous materials are provided. The method comprises contacting the viscous material with pressurized carbon dioxide at a temperature and for a time wherein at least a fraction of water is expressed from the viscous material. Then the pressure is released, and the water expressed from the viscous material is removed to yield a dewatered product. Exemplary viscous materials that can be dewatered by the method include black liquor from wood pulping operations, wet lignin, wet super water absorbent polymers and sugar solutions. The pressurized carbon dioxide is present in subcritical or supercritical form. The method provides dewatering at reduced cost.

A method of recovering filler material from a polymer material comprises (a) heating the polymer material to a first temperature; (b) heating the polymer material to a second temperature higher than the first temperature resulting in a pyrolyzed material; (c) elutriating the pyrolyzed material to obtain a separated mixture; and (d) filtering the separated mixture to obtain the filler material.

A method of recovering filler material from a polymer material comprises (a) heating the polymer material to a first temperature; (b) heating the polymer material to a second temperature higher than the first temperature resulting in a pyrolyzed material; (c) elutriating the pyrolyzed material to obtain a separated mixture; and (d) filtering the separated mixture to obtain the filler material.