In this disclosure, a process of recycling acid, base and the salt reagents required in the Li recovery process is introduced. A membrane electrolysis cell which incorporates an oxygen depolarized cathode is implemented to generate the required chemicals onsite. The system can utilize a portion of the salar brine or other lithium-containing brine or solid waste to generate hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and carbonate salts. Simultaneous generation of acid and base allows for taking advantage of both chemicals during the conventional Li recovery from brines and mineral rocks. The desalinated water can also be used for the washing steps on the recovery process or returned into the evaporation ponds. The method also can be used for the direct conversion of lithium salts to the high value LiOH product. The method does not produce any solid effluent which makes it easy-to-adopt for use in existing industrial Li recovery plants.

Provided are a forward osmosis membrane, a forward osmosis membrane module, and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein a forward osmosis membrane, which achieves an extremely favorable reduction in the reverse diffusion of salt compared to the prior art and has a predetermined water permeability, is developed thereby bringing about: practicality in that a liquid-like raw material solution used in actual concentration operations can be concentrated with suppressed diffusion of an induction solution even when used multiple times; and durability in that the performance of the membrane can be maintained within a predetermined range even when a raw material solution having an osmotic pressure is concentrated multiple times. According to an aspect, provided is a forward osmosis membrane having a polymeric separation active layer disposed on the surface of a microporous support membrane, wherein when purified water is placed as a raw material solution on the separation active layer side and 3.5 mass % of a sodium chloride aqueous solution is placed as an induction solution on the support membrane side, with the forward osmosis membrane therebetween, the amount R1 of reverse diffusion of salt into the raw material solution is 0.65 g/(m.sup.2×hr) or less, and the amount F1 of water permeation into the induction solution is at least 3.5 kg/(m.sup.2×hr).

Provided is a system that can prevent or reduce adhesion of a raw material component to a membrane surface and increase the recovery rate of the raw material component after concentration. A raw material liquid concentration system for a medicine production process is provided with: a forward osmosis membrane unit having a forward osmosis membrane, and a raw material liquid side space and an inductive solution side space which are separated from each other by the forward osmosis membrane; a raw material liquid channel for supplying, to the raw material liquid side space, a raw material liquid containing a solvent and a solute; an inductive solution channel for supplying, to the inductive solution side space, an inductive solution containing an inductive material; a concentrated liquid channel for removing a concentrated raw material liquid from the forward osmosis membrane unit; and a diluted inductive solution channel for removing a diluted inductive solution from the forward osmosis membrane unit. The forward osmosis membrane produces the concentrated raw material liquid and the diluted inductive solution by moving the solvent in the raw material liquid into the inductive solution and by moving the inductive material in the inductive solution into the raw material liquid.

Provided are metal oxide ceramic materials and intermediate materials thereof (e.g., nanozirconia gels, nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles). The nanozirconia gels are formable gels. Also provided are methods of making and using the metal oxide materials and intermediate materials. The nanozirconia gels can be made using, for example, osmotic processing. The nanozirconia gels can be used to make nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental article. The nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles have desirable properties (e.g., optical properties and mechanical properties).

Separation efficiency of a gas in a gas separator mounted on a vehicle is improved. The gas separation system mounted on the vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine includes the gas separator configured to separate a predetermined component in the gas under the existence of water, a first passage connected to the gas separator so as to introduce an atmosphere into the gas separator, and a second passage connecting between an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and the first passage so as to introduce exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine into the gas separator.

Devices, methods, and systems for producing a concentrated feed stream and a diluted feed stream using a solute stream provided to the low pressure side of the semi-permeable membrane during a reverse osmosis process. The process includes providing a semipermeable membrane having a first side and a second side and introducing a first feed solution stream on the first side of the membrane and a second feed solution stream on the second side, wherein the osmotic pressure of the of the first feed solution stream is greater than or equal to the osmotic pressure of the second feed solution stream. The process further includes exerting hydrostatic pressure on the first side of the membrane such that solvent passes from the first side to the second side thereby producing a concentrated first feed solution stream and a diluted second feed solution stream. Devices and systems for performing the processes are provided.

Methods and apparatus for detection and/or identification of analytes including bacteria using dielectrophoresis and electroosmotic traps. Switching between different frequencies of an applied electric field results in movement of the analyte between dielectrophoresis and electroosmotic trapping states. The use of edge-based sensing techniques enables the use of electrodes with a larger form factor than nanowire sensors. Signal modulation based on analyte contact with the electrode edge is also described.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing of a food concentrate in which an aqueous starting solution from a foodstuff is concentrated by osmosis with a semi-permeable biomimetic membrane. In addition, the present invention relates to a food concentrate which can be produced by the process according to the invention, a food concentrate which is free of disturbing aroma components with an OAV (odour activity value)≥1 and which does not contain any solvent additives. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of the food concentrates and products comprising the food concentrate according to the invention.

A hollow fiber membrane element, comprising: a core tube comprising a side face having a plurality of pores; and a hollow fiber membrane group consisting of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed around the core tube, the hollow fiber membrane element being a both open-ended type hollow fiber membrane element in which both ends of the core tube and the plurality of hollow fiber membranes are open. The hollow fiber membrane group includes a first hollow fiber membrane layer composed of a plurality of first hollow fiber membranes disposed so as to surround the core tube and a second hollow fiber membrane layer composed of a plurality of second hollow fiber membranes disposed so as to surround the first hollow fiber membrane layer, and a permeability coefficient of the plurality of first hollow fiber membranes is smaller than a permeability coefficient of the plurality of second hollow fiber membranes.

The present invention relates to a method for concentrating, with low energy, a solute-containing solution in a state of multiple-no osmotic pressure difference (M(multiple)−Δπ=0 RO), and, more specifically, to a method for concentrating, with low energy, an solute-containing solution intended to be concentrated, as a low pressure in a state of multiple-no osmotic pressure difference. The method for concentrating a solution containing a solute at a low pressure in a state of multiple-no osmotic pressure difference, of the present invention, consumes less energy, enables concentration to be performed until a saturated aqueous solution with a maximum solute concentration is obtained or the concentration of the solute becomes 100% even though an extraction solvent is not used, and does not require the use of an additional osmosis-inducing solution.