Systems and processes for removing and purifying bromide from an aqueous bromide solution are described. Electrochemistry is used to either convert bromide to bromine to allow its extraction in an organic phase, or to cause deposition of bromine onto an electrode. In either case, once removed from the aqueous bromide solution, the bromide can be recovered and purified.

A method including: (a) contacting lime with an extract including a S1 solvent carrying a contaminant load to form a lime treated extract; and (b) reducing the contaminant load by removing solids. Optionally, the method includes washing the lime treated extract with water. Optionally, a pH of the lime treated extract is at least 6.5.

The present invention provides a process for the production of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid comprising the catalytic oxidation of a hydrocarbon precursor in an organic solvent, comprising the steps of: i) separating a vent gas from an oxidation stage into an organic solvent-rich liquid stream and a water-rich vapour stream in a distillation stage; and ii) separating an aqueous purific ation mother liquor comprising organic compounds from purified aromatic dicarboxylic acid crystals in a separation stage, characterised in that the process further comprises the steps of: iii) transferring the aqueous purification mother liquor from the separation stage to an extraction stage; iv) extracting said organic compounds from the aqueous purification mother liquor by contacting the aqueous purification mother liquor at a temperature of at least 90° C. with an organic liquid in the extraction stage to form an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the concentration of said organic compounds in the aqueous phase is lower than the concentra tion of said organic compounds in the aqueous purification mother liquor; and v) transferring the aqueous phase to said distillation stage. The present invention further provides an apparatus for carrying out the process.

Sample purification systems include a particle extraction assembly having a mixing compartment and a settling compartment. A biological sample is mixed with two liquid phases formulated to effectuate transfer of a biological molecule into a first phase and particulate contaminants into a second phase. The first phase includes a solubilizing salt, the second phase includes an organic molecule, and the mixture can have little or no monoatomic salt or dextran. The molecule-containing first phase can be optionally concentrated without also concentrating the particulate contaminants and introduced into a multi-stage liquid-liquid extractor, by which the biological molecule or molecular contaminants are extracted from the first phase into a third phase, thereby purifying the molecule away from contaminants. The extracted sample can be further purified through a series of processing steps. The system can be run in continuously mode to maintain sterility of the sample.

A method of recovering organic components from an aqueous biomass in the method includes: (i) providing an aqueous biomass containing organic components; (ii) treatment of the aqueous biomass to release intracellular organic components from within cells of the biomass to form a biomass suspension; addition of a water-immiscible component to the biomass suspension to form a mixture comprising biomass and water-immiscible component; (iv) subjecting the mixture comprising biomass and water-immiscible component to high shear to form a water-in-water-immiscible-component emulsion; and (v) separating the water-immiscible component phase from the water/aqueous phase.

A method for processing algae-based products using flue gas heat includes mixing flue gas with water, receiving a heated gas in a first enclosure of a heat exchanger, receiving an algal paste in a second enclosure of the heat exchanger, introducing an organic solvent to the algal paste, extracting an algal oil and a plurality of algal shells from the algal paste by dissipating heat from the first enclosure to the second enclosure; and extracting the algal oil from the organic solvent and the algal shells.

A method of extracting an analyte from a sample is described where the sample includes water. The sample and polymeric drying agent are added to a container. The polymeric drying agent includes a cationic monomer, an anionic monomer, and a crosslinker. The polymeric drying agent is configured to sorb water from the sample.

In the present invention, nickel is selectively extracted from an acidic solution that contains a high concentration of manganese. This valuable metal extraction agent is represented by the general formula. In the formula, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are alkyl groups that may be the same or different, R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or any group, other than an amino group, bonded to an α carbon atom of an amino acid. The general formula preferably has a glycine unit, a histidine unit, a lysine unit, an aspartic acid unit or a n-methylglycine unit. When extracting nickel by using this extraction agent, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the acidic solution to 2.3 to 5.5 inclusive.

A process of extraction, quantification and recovery of additives in polypropylene with the stages of washing the plastic material (A), grinding the material (A) to a particle size from 10 to 500 microns, extraction where the material (A) is transferred to a column (1) and then such material successively passes through column (2), column (3) and column (4), respectively, for successive extractions with solvents (I), (II), (III) and (IV), packed column extraction, where the solvent with the additives obtained from each extraction in columns (1), (2), (3) and (4) passes through packed columns (1′), (2′), (3′) and (4′), respectively, crystallization of the additives obtained after each extraction stage in packed columns (1′), (2′), (3′) and (4′) respectively; and quantification of the additives obtained and where the residual material without additives is subjected to pyrolysis.

A process for recovering and upgrading unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons, comprises: a) providing a foam M1 consisting of pores containing a composition C1 comprising at least one unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon; b1) optionally grinding or compressing said foam M1 to form a ground foam or a compressed foam; b2) optionally recovering at least a portion of said composition C1; c) depolymerizing or dissolving said foam M1 provided in step a) or said ground or compressed foam obtained in step b1); d) recovering at least a portion of said composition C1 and optionally mixing the latter with said at least a portion of the composition recovered in step b2) to form a stream A comprising at least one unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon; e) recovering and separating said stream A into a plurality of streams of which at least one stream B1 comprises said at least one unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon.