A wet material having at least a liquid portion is dewatered by providing one or more wicking members of wicking material arranged to transfer moisture passively by wicking therethrough from a contacting portion in contact with the wet material to an evaporating portion where the transferred liquid portion is arranged to be evaporated. In some embodiments conductive elements are included in the wicking member to assist in distributing heat across the wicking member which enhances the evaporation of moisture transferred therethrough from the wet material. In yet further embodiments, a condenser member is provided in proximity to the evaporating portion of the wicking member so as to be arranged to condense and collect at least some of the liquid portion evaporated from the wicking member.

A wet material having at least a liquid portion is dewatered by providing one or more wicking members of wicking material arranged to transfer moisture passively by wicking therethrough from a contacting portion in contact with the wet material to an evaporating portion where the transferred liquid portion is arranged to be evaporated. In some embodiments conductive elements are included in the wicking member to assist in distributing heat across the wicking member which enhances the evaporation of moisture transferred therethrough from the wet material. In yet further embodiments, a condenser member is provided in proximity to the evaporating portion of the wicking member so as to be arranged to condense and collect at least some of the liquid portion evaporated from the wicking member.

An evaporative system for separating solid salt from a saline solution is provided. The system comprises conveyor belts arranged to move the saline solution and evaporate water from it, using natural solar radiation, reflected solar radiation, mechanically induced evaporation and heat storing materials, which accumulate heat during the day and release the heat during the night to allow continuous production. The system may be adapted to different saline solution sources and terrain conditions as well as to varying meteorological conditions. The conveyor belts may be interspaced by separators that remove from the saline solution each type of salt as it solidifies on the corresponding conveyor belt. Conveyor belts may further be used to deliver the solid salt or wastes back to saline solution source.

The invention relates to method for deacidification of fats and oils comprising: feeding stream (1) to a stripping section; condensing the volatile phase in a high temperature condensing zone, sending the condensed phase to distillation A; distillating the condensed phase, obtaining a volatile stream; passing the volatile stream along with the vapor phase from the condensation zone to a cold condensation zone obtaining a condensate and a stream (4); allowing stream (4) to continue to vacuum system and subjecting the cold condensate to distillation B; and producing a stream of fatty acids (5) and a stream of micronutrients (6).

The invention relates to method for deacidification of fats and oils comprising: feeding stream (1) to a stripping section; condensing the volatile phase in a high temperature condensing zone, sending the condensed phase to distillation A; distillating the condensed phase, obtaining a volatile stream; passing the volatile stream along with the vapor phase from the condensation zone to a cold condensation zone obtaining a condensate and a stream (4); allowing stream (4) to continue to vacuum system and subjecting the cold condensate to distillation B; and producing a stream of fatty acids (5) and a stream of micronutrients (6).

A method of isolating and purifying a product of sugar alcohol or anhydrosugar alcohol hydrogenolysis from a reaction mixture containing sorbitans, 1,2,4-butanetriol (BTO), 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), among other byproducts of a hydrogenolysis reaction of a sugar alcohol and/or a mono- or di-dehydrative product of a sugar alcohol is described. The method involves contacting the mixture having the products of sugar alcohol or anhydrosugar alcohol hydrogenation and other C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alcohols and polyols with a resin material adapted for chromatography under conditions where the products preferentially associates with the resin relative to other components in the mixture, and eluting products from the resin with a solvent. The method suggests a way for separation of aliphatic polyols generated from the hydrogenolysis of sugar alcohols or anhydrosugar alcohols.

A method of isolating and purifying a product of sugar alcohol or anhydrosugar alcohol hydrogenolysis from a reaction mixture containing sorbitans, 1,2,4-butanetriol (BTO), 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), among other byproducts of a hydrogenolysis reaction of a sugar alcohol and/or a mono- or di-dehydrative product of a sugar alcohol is described. The method involves contacting the mixture having the products of sugar alcohol or anhydrosugar alcohol hydrogenation and other C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alcohols and polyols with a resin material adapted for chromatography under conditions where the products preferentially associates with the resin relative to other components in the mixture, and eluting products from the resin with a solvent. The method suggests a way for separation of aliphatic polyols generated from the hydrogenolysis of sugar alcohols or anhydrosugar alcohols.

A printed circuit-type heat exchanger includes a vaporizer having a structure in which one or more A-channel plates and one or more B-channel plates are sequentially stacked, to vaporize a fluid A with heat exchange through the A-fluid channels. A gas-liquid separator separates the fluid A into a vaporized gas and a non-vaporized liquid and includes a gas outlet for the vaporized gas and a liquid outlet for non-vaporized liquid. A super heater, having the same structure as the vaporizer, super heats the vaporized gas with heat exchange through the A-fluid channels and discharges the superheated gas through a gas outlet communicating with the outside. A first intermediate plate is disposed between the vaporizer and the gas-liquid separator to separate the vaporizer from the gas-liquid separator, and a second intermediate plate is disposed between the gas-liquid separator and the super heater to separate the super heater from the gas-liquid separator.

Falling film evaporator systems, devices, and methods are disclosed in the present application. In some embodiments, the falling film evaporator system can include a hollow cylindrical glass tube configured to enclose the major parts of the falling film evaporator system. Furthermore, in some embodiments, inserted into the cylindrical glass tube is another hollow evaporator tube with a dispensing bowl at the top, a reservoir of the dispending bowl facing the inside top of the cylindrical glass tube. Inserted into the hollow evaporator tube is a heating element configured to heat the hollow evaporator tube such that an outside surface of the evaporator tube is heated. At the top of the hollow cylindrical glass is an inlet where liquid flows into the dispensing bowl, spilling over the edges of the bowl, generating a thin film of liquid that is evaporated as it falls down the outside surface of the evaporator tube.

Falling film evaporator systems, devices, and methods are disclosed in the present application. In some embodiments, the falling film evaporator system can include a hollow cylindrical glass tube configured to enclose the major parts of the falling film evaporator system. Furthermore, in some embodiments, inserted into the cylindrical glass tube is another hollow evaporator tube with a dispensing bowl at the top, a reservoir of the dispending bowl facing the inside top of the cylindrical glass tube. Inserted into the hollow evaporator tube is a heating element configured to heat the hollow evaporator tube such that an outside surface of the evaporator tube is heated. At the top of the hollow cylindrical glass is an inlet where liquid flows into the dispensing bowl, spilling over the edges of the bowl, generating a thin film of liquid that is evaporated as it falls down the outside surface of the evaporator tube.