The present invention discloses a novel hydrophilic and compressible aerogel as draw agent for purification water in forward osmosis (FO), which belongs to environmental pollution control engineering technical field. The improved performances are obtained by optimizing regeneration process of drawing and producing water by using this aerogel as a draw agent in FO technology. Herein, the aerogel complete avoid the draw solution's reverse diffusion and maintain a higher water flux that compensates for its structure characteristics. Moreover, the regeneration of the draw agent and production water should be accomplished through human compression without a complicated physical and chemical method. Simultaneously, this draw agent presents other advantages of wide raw material sources, low cost, wild preparation process, low poison and good film compatibility. It is an innovation as FO technology in portable water purifying device, especially in areas of military and emergency.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods and systems of concentrating effluent, removing nitrogen from an effluent, and producing fertilizer from an effluent. In an embodiment, the effluent is a digestate, such as from a biomass digester. In an embodiment, the digestate is concentrated and nitrogen is removed by performing forward osmosis using a draw solution and the digestate as a feed solution. The draw solution is subjected to reverse osmosis to produce an ammonium salt fertilizer. Phosphorus in the effluent may be precipitated as a struvite fertilizer.

A method of concentrating a lithium-containing aqueous solution, the method comprising: (i) providing a water-permeable structure having an inner surface and outer surface, wherein at least said outer surface is coated with a water-permeable hydrophilic polymer having a thermal stability of at least 100 C.; and (ii) flowing a lithium-containing aqueous feed solution having an initial concentration of lithium over said inner surface while said outer surface is in contact with an aqueous draw solution containing a higher overall ion concentration than said lithium-containing aqueous feed solution, to result in forward osmosis of water from said lithium-containing aqueous feed solution to said aqueous draw solution, and wherein said forward osmosis results in a lithium-containing aqueous product solution having an increased concentration of lithium relative to the initial concentration of lithium in the lithium-containing aqueous feed solution.

Disclosed herein is a use of an inorganic salt to form and regenerate a draw solute for forward osmosis, wherein the inorganic salt is selected from one or more of the group selected from sodium sulfate, calcium lactate, disodium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and hydrates thereof. Also disclosed herein is a method of forward osmosis using said inorganic salt.

The present invention relates to a thermo-responsive solution and in particular, a solution for use in an osmosis process that is suitable for separating or purifying solutes and or water from an aqueous solution on a large scale and under energy efficient conditions.

A method of treating a liquid. The method comprises providing a feed liquid comprising at least one solvent and at least one solute to a first side of a membrane. A single-phase draw solution comprising at least one of an aminium salt, an amidinium salt, and a guanidinium salt is provided to a second side of the membrane. The at least one solvent is osmosed across the membrane and into the single-phase draw solution to form a diluted single-phase draw solution. At least one of CO.sub.2, CS.sub.2, and COS is removed from the diluted single-phase draw solution to form a first multiple-phase solution comprising a first liquid phase comprising the at least one solvent, and a second liquid phase comprising at least one of an amine compound, an amidine compound, and a guanidine compound. A liquid purification system is also described.

The present invention provides a draw solute for forward osmosis comprising a carbon dioxide responsive structural unit and a thermally responsive structural unit, wherein the draw solute is capable of reversibly switching between a protonated state and a deprotonated state. The present invention also provides a forward osmosis method utilising the draw solute.

A forward osmosis system is provided. The system includes forward osmosis container having a semipermeable membrane dividing the forward osmosis chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber, a draw solution water removal unit including a quantity of draw solution solvent and water, wherein the draw solution solvent includes a nonaqueous liquid and a condenser configured to receive either water vapor or draw solution solvent vapor from the draw solution water removal unit and provide condensed draw solution solvent to the second chamber. The second chamber provides a water diluted draw solution solvent to the draw solution water removal unit. The first chamber takes in received water including a dissolved solute at an input mass per unit of volume and provides a fluid output having an output mass per unit of volume greater than the input mass per unit of volume.

Disclosed herein is a solar thermal osmosis desalination system comprising a forward osmosis subsystem and a reverse osmosis subsystem where the forward osmosis subsystem is configured to receive solar thermal heat and generate power that can be used to operate the reverse osmosis subsystem.

Methods and systems are described that produce an ultra-high gravity alcoholic beverage from a high gravity alcoholic beverage stream using an efficient, low waste, combination reverse osmosis and forward osmosis system. Utilizing a reverse osmosis system prior to using a forward osmosis system in removing water content from a high gravity alcoholic beverage stream significantly reduces a draw solution load when compared to a process that utilizes a forward osmosis system alone or prior to using any other dewatering system.