Methods for separating chitin from a chitinous biomass are described, the methods comprising contacting the chitinous biomass with an ionic liquid to form a mixture comprising chitin; contacting the mixture with an aqueous solution of a kosmotropic salt, thereby coagulating the chitin and forming an biphasic system comprising an ionic liquid-chitin phase and an aqueous kosmotropic salt phase; separating the ionic liquid-chitin phase from the aqueous kosmotropic salt phase; and collecting the chitin from the separated ionic liquid-chitin phase, thereby forming a recycled ionic liquid.

Methods for separating chitin from a chitinous biomass are described, the methods comprising contacting the chitinous biomass with an ionic liquid to form a mixture comprising chitin; contacting the mixture with an aqueous solution of a kosmotropic salt, thereby coagulating the chitin and forming an biphasic system comprising an ionic liquid-chitin phase and an aqueous kosmotropic salt phase; separating the ionic liquid-chitin phase from the aqueous kosmotropic salt phase; and collecting the chitin from the separated ionic liquid-chitin phase, thereby forming a recycled ionic liquid.

A process includes the following steps: a) converting a solid material containing hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, by: (i) hydrolyzing at least part of the hemicellulose of the solid material with a first aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, yielding a remaining solid material and a hydrochloric acid- containing, aqueous, first hydrolysate product solution; (ii) hydrolyzing at least part of the cellulose of the remaining solid material with a second aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, yielding a residue and a hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous, second hydrolysate product solution; (b) forwarding to step (c) a, hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous intermediate product solution comprising: a part of or the whole of the hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous first and/or second hydrolysate product solution of step (a); and (c) heating at least part of the hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous intermediate product solution to yield a product solution containing 5-(chloromethyl)furfural, and extracting the 5-(chloromethyl)furfural from the product solution into an extraction solvent.

A process includes the following steps: a) converting a solid material containing hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, by: (i) hydrolyzing at least part of the hemicellulose of the solid material with a first aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, yielding a remaining solid material and a hydrochloric acid- containing, aqueous, first hydrolysate product solution; (ii) hydrolyzing at least part of the cellulose of the remaining solid material with a second aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, yielding a residue and a hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous, second hydrolysate product solution; (b) forwarding to step (c) a, hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous intermediate product solution comprising: a part of or the whole of the hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous first and/or second hydrolysate product solution of step (a); and (c) heating at least part of the hydrochloric acid-containing, aqueous intermediate product solution to yield a product solution containing 5-(chloromethyl)furfural, and extracting the 5-(chloromethyl)furfural from the product solution into an extraction solvent.

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a defect structure in an MFI zeolite membrane and a method of separating xylene isomers using the MFI zeolite membrane produced by the method, and more particularly, to a method of controlling a defect structure in an MFI zeolite membrane that improves the performance of separating a xylene isomer by reducing the amount and size of defects formed in the MFI membrane structure when removing organic-structure-directing agents in the membrane through calcination at a low temperature using ozone.

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a defect structure in an MFI zeolite membrane and a method of separating xylene isomers using the MFI zeolite membrane produced by the method, and more particularly, to a method of controlling a defect structure in an MFI zeolite membrane that improves the performance of separating a xylene isomer by reducing the amount and size of defects formed in the MFI membrane structure when removing organic-structure-directing agents in the membrane through calcination at a low temperature using ozone.

A method of separating a metal organic framework (MOF) from a solution and associated apparatus. The method comprises: providing a MOF containing solution; contacting the MOF containing solution with an acoustic reflector surface such that, any high frequency ultrasound applied within the MOF containing solution reflects off the acoustic reflector surface; and applying a high frequency ultrasound of at least 20 kHz to the MOF containing solution. The MOF material is substantially separated from solution as aggregated sediment that settles out of solution.

A method of separating a metal organic framework (MOF) from a solution and associated apparatus. The method comprises: providing a MOF containing solution; contacting the MOF containing solution with an acoustic reflector surface such that, any high frequency ultrasound applied within the MOF containing solution reflects off the acoustic reflector surface; and applying a high frequency ultrasound of at least 20 kHz to the MOF containing solution. The MOF material is substantially separated from solution as aggregated sediment that settles out of solution.

The invention relates to the extraction of organic compounds from mixtures of said compounds with water, using a nanoporous carbon membrane. The invention can be used in any field where it is desired to separate an organic compound of interest from water, such as the drying of alcohols or alkanes.

The invention relates to the extraction of organic compounds from mixtures of said compounds with water, using a nanoporous carbon membrane. The invention can be used in any field where it is desired to separate an organic compound of interest from water, such as the drying of alcohols or alkanes.