A water purification apparatus (1) comprising a Reverse Osmosis, RO, device (26). The RO device (26) comprises a RO membrane (26a) and a feed pump (23). The apparatus (1) also comprises a recirculation mechanism (33) arranged to recirculate a portion of the reject water to the feed water, a temperature sensor device arranged to measure a temperature indicative of the temperature of the RO membrane (26a), and a flow rate sensor device arranged to measure a flow rate indicative of the permeate flow rate of the permeate water. The apparatus (1) further comprises a control arrangement (50) configured to control recirculation to achieve a predetermined recovery ratio. The control arrangement (50) is also configured to control the rate of the feed pump (23), based on the measured temperature indicative of the temperature of the RO membrane (26a) and a desired permeate conductivity, to make the permeate flow rate equal to, or within a predetermined margin of, an energy efficient permeate flow rate determined based on a predetermined relation between RO membrane temperature, permeate flow rate and permeate conductivity. The disclosure also related to a corresponding method.

Provided is a method for cleaning a filtration membrane provided in a membrane filtration device that is immersed in a liquid to be treated and performs solid-liquid separation on the liquid to be treated. When a transmembrane pressure difference exceeds a first predetermined pressure difference P1, a first cleaning step W1 for cleaning a filtration membrane is performed using a first chemical solution; when the transmembrane pressure difference immediately after performing the first cleaning step W1 exceeds a second predetermined pressure difference P2 that is lower than the first predetermined pressure difference, a second cleaning step W2 for cleaning the filtration membrane is performed using a second chemical solution having a concentration higher than the first chemical solution; and when the second cleaning step W2 is performed, the concentration of the second chemical solution and/or the cleaning time is changed according to the temperature of the liquid to be treated.

This specification relates to preparing a purified human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) from an HMO solution by a process comprising nanofiltration, as well as processes for making foods, dietary supplements, medicines and infant formulas comprising a purified HMO. This specification also relates to purified HMOs and foods, dietary supplements, medicines and infant formulas prepared by processes disclosed in this specification.

A feedstock processing system extracts a product from a solid using a CTSE system comprising a plurality of continuous stirred tank extraction stages arranged in fluid communication with each other in series such that effluent from one stage flows to a next stage in the series. One of the stages has an inlet to allow a measured amount of liquid solvent and the solid to be introduced to the continuous stirred tank extraction stage. The stage mixes the solid with the introduced solvent to form a homogeneous slurry to enable the product associated with the solid to be extracted with the solvent. A solid-liquid separator is arranged in fluid communication with the continuous stirred tank extraction stages, and receives an effluent from one of the stages and separates the liquid solvent containing the product from the solid to form a product-containing liquid and a product-depleted solid.

The subject of the invention is a membrane for separation of target stem cells from biological samples, more precisely from a single-cell suspension that was prepared from a biological sample. As a result, sterile target stem cells are obtained in physiological buffer. The membrane of the invention consists of a 3D carrier structure made of at least one layer of biocompatible polymer with specific pore size, as a carrier material, and covalently bound target molecules on its surface and/or in the pores. These target molecules are preferably target antibodies, which recognize characteristic antigens that are bound on the surface of the target stem cells and thus bind the target stem cells to the membrane. Target molecules can be either directly bound to the surface and/or in the pores of the carrier structure or are bound to the surface and/or in the pores of the carrier structure through specific functionalized nanoparticles, which are bound to or embedded into the 3D carrier structure of the membrane. In addition, the present invention includes the membrane production process as well as the process and device for the separation of target stem cells from a biological sample, which includes the above membrane as a constituent part.

An ionic liquid and a forward osmosis process employing the same are provided. The ionic liquid has a structure represented by Formula (I)
AB.sub.n  Formula (I),
wherein A is ##STR00001##
n is 1 or 2; m is 0, or an integer from 1 to 7; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently methyl or ethyl; k is an integer from 3 to 8; B is ##STR00002##
i is independently 1, 2, or 3; and j is 5, 6, or 7. The forward osmosis process employing the ionic liquid is used to desalinate a brine via a forward osmosis (FO) model.

The present disclosure is directed toward membrane biofilm reactors primarily comprising microorganisms that produce chemical fuel products or precursors thereof. Reactors of the present disclosure can primarily comprise acetogens, a methanotrophs, and/or Methanosarcina acetivorans.

A method for preparing battery grade and high purity grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from high-impurity lithium sources includes steps for preparation of a refined lithium salt solution, preparation of battery grade lithium hydroxide, preparation of high purity grade lithium hydroxide, preparation of high purity grade lithium carbonate and preparation of battery grade lithium carbonate. The system to carry out the preparation includes a refined lithium salt solution preparation subsystem, a battery grade lithium hydroxide preparation subsystem, a high purity grade lithium hydroxide preparation subsystem, a high purity grade lithium carbonate preparation subsystem and a battery grade lithium carbonate preparation subsystem arranged in turn according to production sequence. A combination of physical and chemical treatment methods are used to treat the high-impurity lithium sources having variations in lithium contents, impurity categories, and impurity contents.

A spiral wound module assembly including a plurality of serially arranged spiral wound modules axially aligned within a chamber of a pressure vessel, wherein each spiral wound module includes at least one membrane envelope wound about a permeate collection tube and wherein the permeate collection tubes of each spiral wound module are in sealed fluid communication with each other and with a permeate adaptor tube that extends to a permeate outlet port, and wherein the assembly is characterized by including a monitoring system including a set of sensors in contact with the inner periphery of the permeate adaptor tube and a micro-processing unit located within the vessel and connected to the sensors.

A spiral wound module assembly including a plurality of serially arranged spiral wound modules axially aligned within a chamber of a pressure vessel, wherein each spiral wound module includes at least one membrane envelope wound about a permeate collection tube and wherein the permeate collection tubes of each spiral wound module are in sealed fluid communication with each other and with a permeate adaptor tube that extends to a permeate outlet port, and wherein the assembly is characterized by including a monitoring system including a set of sensors in contact with the inner periphery of the permeate adaptor tube and a micro-processing unit located within the vessel and connected to the sensors.