A method for obtaining a liquid from a porous solid phase is described. The method comprises forming a liquid seal at a first end of a porous solid phase to which a liquid is bound, wherein liquid of the liquid seal is immiscible with the liquid bound to the solid phase, and applying a pressure differential across the porous solid phase to cause the immiscible liquid to move through the porous solid phase towards a second end of the porous solid phase, thereby displacing the liquid bound to the porous solid phase towards the second end and releasing this liquid from the second end. Recovery of liquid from the solid phase using such methods is increased compared with corresponding methods in which no liquid seal is formed. In preferred embodiments, the liquid used to form the liquid seal is a mineral oil. The methods have particular application in nucleic acid extractions which utilize capture of nucleic acid to a solid phase. Kits and apparatus for performing the methods are also described.

Method and plant for treating water implementing a contact vessel (21) for putting water into contact with a granular adsorbent material and a clarification, granular adsorbent material is constituted by agglomerates of active carbon particles, said agglomerates having an average size of 200 μm to 600 μm and a specific surface area of 800 to 1000 m.sup.2/g, a screen (9) being provided in the upper part of the contact vessel (21) comprising a layer of porous material having a thickness of 1 to 5 mm and a cut-off threshold of 100 μm to 200 μm, said contact vessel (21) having a hopper-shaped lower part (21a), purging means (21b) and stirring means (22) to stir the content of the upper part of this contact vessel (21) without stirring the content of the lower hopper-shaped part.

Method and plant for treating water implementing a contact vessel (21) for putting water into contact with a granular adsorbent material and a clarification, granular adsorbent material is constituted by agglomerates of active carbon particles, said agglomerates having an average size of 200 μm to 600 μm and a specific surface area of 800 to 1000 m.sup.2/g, a screen (9) being provided in the upper part of the contact vessel (21) comprising a layer of porous material having a thickness of 1 to 5 mm and a cut-off threshold of 100 μm to 200 μm, said contact vessel (21) having a hopper-shaped lower part (21a), purging means (21b) and stirring means (22) to stir the content of the upper part of this contact vessel (21) without stirring the content of the lower hopper-shaped part.

Systems and methods for treating a stream comprising hydrocarbons and an aqueous-based liquid are provided. The systems and methods may utilize a media composite comprising a mixture of a cellulose-based material and a polymer. In certain systems and methods, the media composite is capable of being backwashed. The stream comprising the hydrocarbons and aqueous-based liquid may be separated by contacting the stream with the media composite. In certain system and methods, the stream comprising the hydrocarbons and aqueous-based liquid may be coalesced by contacting the stream with the media composite.

A liquid filter article, including: a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and an adsorbent bed there between, the bed comprising: a first stage having a first adsorbent, the first adsorbent including an activated carbon honeycomb infused with a plurality of zero valent iron nanoparticles (“Fe-AC”); and a second stage having a second adsorbent, the second adsorbent being selected from iron oxide particles supported on activated carbon honeycomb (“FEOX-AC”), iron oxide particles supported on activated alumina honeycomb (“FeOX-AA”), or a combination thereof, wherein the first stage is in fluid communication with the second stage. Also disclosed is a method of using the liquid filter article to remediate heavy metals in water.

A skimmer for removing a layer of oil floating on a surface oil contaminated water which subsequently concentrated and separated in an oil water separator which removes tramp oils or other fluids, such as hydraulic oils, with specific gravity less than that of the operating fluid are required to be removed from operating fluid such as water, lubri-coolants or other liquids. The skimmer supplies concentrated oil water composite fluid to a separator apparatus designed for use in industrial applications in which unwanted tramp oils or other fluids, such as hydraulic oils, with specific gravity less than that of the operating fluid are required to be removed from operating fluid such as water, lubri-coolants or other liquids.

A skimmer for removing a layer of oil floating on a surface oil contaminated water which subsequently concentrated and separated in an oil water separator which removes tramp oils or other fluids, such as hydraulic oils, with specific gravity less than that of the operating fluid are required to be removed from operating fluid such as water, lubri-coolants or other liquids. The skimmer supplies concentrated oil water composite fluid to a separator apparatus designed for use in industrial applications in which unwanted tramp oils or other fluids, such as hydraulic oils, with specific gravity less than that of the operating fluid are required to be removed from operating fluid such as water, lubri-coolants or other liquids.

A system is provided for removing arsenic from water to safe levels at or below the EPA standards. The system is a hybrid spouted vessel/fixed bed filter system that significantly enhances/improves arsenic removal for drinking water using zero-valent iron (ZVI) particles. Movement of the circulating, iron-containing particles in a dense moving bed that forms on the spouted vessel bottom creates an abrasive “self-polishing” action among them that continuously generates colloidal iron corrosion products. This material then circulates with the water in the vessel and is removed and concentrated in a fixed bed filter. The colloidal material captured and immobilized in the filter has been shown to remove arsenic from contaminated water at very rapid rates.

The present disclosure provides a method for adsorption/desorption of lithium ions from brine, which employs a counter current decantation process in adsorption/desorption of lithium ions, thereby achieving an adsorption rate of 65±5% and a desorption rate of 95±3%. The method includes supplying brine into one of a plurality of adsorption reactors, adsorbing lithium ions to an adsorbent by supplying the adsorbent to the adsorption reactor to which the brine is supplied and forcing the brine and the adsorbent to sequentially flow backwards inside the respective adsorption reactors, and desorbing the lithium ions from the brine by forcing the adsorbent to which the lithium ions are adsorbed to sequentially flow backwards inside a plurality of desorption reactors. Here, the brine and the adsorbent are stirred by a stirrer to maintain the adsorbent in an intermediate state instead of settling or floating inside the respective adsorption reactors.

The present disclosure provides a method for adsorption/desorption of lithium ions from brine, which employs a counter current decantation process in adsorption/desorption of lithium ions, thereby achieving an adsorption rate of 65±5% and a desorption rate of 95±3%. The method includes supplying brine into one of a plurality of adsorption reactors, adsorbing lithium ions to an adsorbent by supplying the adsorbent to the adsorption reactor to which the brine is supplied and forcing the brine and the adsorbent to sequentially flow backwards inside the respective adsorption reactors, and desorbing the lithium ions from the brine by forcing the adsorbent to which the lithium ions are adsorbed to sequentially flow backwards inside a plurality of desorption reactors. Here, the brine and the adsorbent are stirred by a stirrer to maintain the adsorbent in an intermediate state instead of settling or floating inside the respective adsorption reactors.