According to one embodiment, an amine-containing water concentration system includes an osmotic pressure generator and a carbon dioxide introducing unit. The osmotic pressure generator includes a treatment vessel, a first chamber to which the water to be treated is supplied, a second chamber capable of storing a working medium, and a semipermeable membrane that partitions the first chamber and the second chamber, which are located in the treatment vessel. The carbon dioxide introducing unit is capable of introducing carbon dioxide into the water to be treated.

Example methods and systems for segregation and treatment of waste water streams for enhanced oil recovery are disclosed. One example method includes generating concentrated solution by treating, using a forward osmosis process, waste water of one or more gas streams from a gas plant associated with one or more gas wells, where draw solution of the forward osmosis process includes produced water from one or more crude oil production traps, and the waste water contains kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI). The concentrated solution is treated using an oxidation process to generate oxidized solution by decomposing the KHI in the waste water. The oxidized solution is injected into an oil reservoir through a water injection well for enhanced oil recovery.

Provided are metal oxide ceramic materials and intermediate materials thereof (e.g., nanozirconia gels, nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles). The nanozirconia gels are formable gels. Also provided are methods of making and using the metal oxide materials and intermediate materials. The nanozirconia gels can be made using, for example, osmotic processing. The nanozirconia gels can be used to make nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental article. The nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles have desirable properties (e.g., optical properties and mechanical properties).

A thermo-sensitive water absorbent is used as a draw material in production of fresh water by a forward osmosis process. The thermo-sensitive water absorbent has a cloud point, and coagulates when heated, the thermo-sensitive water absorbent being a block copolymer containing at least a hydrophobic part and a hydrophilic part, having a glycerin structure as a basic structure, and including an ethylene oxide group and a group consisting of propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide.

According to one embodiment, a water treatment system includes a first chamber which accommodates water to be treated, a second chamber which accommodates a working medium which induces an osmotic pressure and an osmosis membrane which separates the first chamber and the second chamber from each other. The working medium is an aqueous solution which contains an acid having a hydroxy group in a side chain, or a metal salt thereof.

A draw solution contains a polymeric compound produced using, as starting materials, a compound represented by general formula (a) and a compound represented by general formula (b) as a draw solute.

##STR00001## [In formula (a) and formula (b), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.]

The invention relates to a system for separating a product contained as solvent in a solution to be processed, comprising at least one forward osmosis device (816) through which the solution to be processed and a draw solution flow, and a device connected downstream thereof for obtaining the product (56, 62) from the diluted draw solution exiting the forward osmosis device, wherein the forward osmosis device comprises at least one flow channel conducting the solution to be processed and at least one flow channel conducting the draw solution, the inner space of a respective flow channel conducting the solution to be processed is delimited at least partially by a semi-permeable membrane wall that is permeable to the solvent of the solution to be processed but not to the substance dissolved therein, and at least one flow channel conducting the draw solution is delimited on opposite sides by membrane walls that are associated with two adjoining flow channels conducting the solution to be processed, such that solvent from the solution to be processed passes through the membrane walls into the adjoining flow channels conducting the draw solution.

According to one embodiment, a water treatment method is a method configured to use a working medium that includes a draw solution and a water-containing solution to be treated. The draw solution is a hyperosmotic solution which generates an osmotic pressure difference with water. The method includes generating a flux of a mixture of water and a draw solution by an osmotic pressure difference generated between a solution to be treated and the draw solution in an osmotic pressure generator compartmentalized by an osmosis membrane, transferring the flux of the mixture to a vaporization-separation unit, separating the mixture into the water and the draw solution by a pressure difference, and recycling the draw solution separated by the vaporization-separation unit.

A forward osmosis apparatus includes a diluting means for bringing a feed solution and a draw solution containing a cation source and an anion source in an ionized state into contact through a semi-permeable membrane and diluting the draw solution with water separated from the feed solution by means of the semi-permeable membrane; a separating means for separating the diluted draw solution into the cation source and anion source and into water; and a dissolving means, returning the separated cation source and the separated anion source to, and dissolving the cation source and anion source in, the draw solution that has been diluted. The molecular weight of the cation source in an uncharged state is 31 or greater and the Henry's law constant of each of the anion source and cation source is 1.010.sup.4 (Pa/mol.Math.fraction) or greater in a standard state.

Methods and systems for filtering of biological particles are disclosed. Filtering membranes separate adjacent chambers. Through osmotic or electrokinetic processes, flow of particles is carried out through the filtering membranes. Cells, viruses and cell waste can be filtered depending on the size of the pores of the membrane. A polymer brush can be applied to a surface of the membrane to enhance filtering and prevent fouling.