An array of hollow nanotubes is configured and dimensioned to allow impurities to transport through the hollow nanotubes from a first space containing an impurity-laden fluid to a second space where the impurities may be collected for removal, allowing fluids, such as blood, to be purified.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors, bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel and/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

Disclosed is a method for the manufacture of a spray-dried powder consisting essentially of at least one lacto-N-fucopentaose, the spray-dried powder, its use for the manufacture of nutritional compositions, and nutritional compositions containing the spray-dried powder.

An electrochemical device suited to modifying a carbon dioxide concentration in an interior space includes a cathode chamber with an inlet which receives a feed gas containing carbon dioxide. A reduction catalyst layer in the cathode chamber reduces carbon dioxide in the gas to form an ionic carrier species. An anode chamber with an outlet outputs a gas comprising carbon dioxide. A solid electrolyte membrane spaces the anode chamber from the cathode chamber and transports the ionic carrier species between the cathode chamber and the anode chamber. The membrane includes an ionic liquid. An oxidation catalyst layer in the anode chamber oxidizes the ionic carrier species to form carbon dioxide. A voltage source provides a voltage difference across the membrane.

Systems and methods of making lactobionic acid are described. The systems include two-compartment cation bipolar electrodialysis assemblies having at least one cell that includes a cation ion-exchange membrane and a bipolar membrane. The membranes define the borders of a pair of flow channels for a separate (i) caustic stream and (i) purified lactobionic acid stream. Lactobionate ions in the lactobionic acid stream do not cross a membrane in the electrodialysis assembly, which reduces membrane fouling. The methods include passing a lactobionate salt through a two-compartment cation bipolar electrodialysis assembly. The electrodialysis assembly includes at least one two-compartment cation bipolar membrane cell, and separates the lactobionate salt into a caustic compound and the lactobionic acid. The assembly is designed so the lactobionate ions do not cross an ion exchange membrane in the assembly to form the lactobionic acid, which reduces membrane fouling.

The invention relates to a spacer with mixing elements, particularly for membrane modules. The spacer comprises a three-dimensional net with mesh (1) having the shape of polygons with number of sides n≥5, with at least one pair of sides made of support beams (2) which are not in contact with one another, parallel to one another, preferably inclined from the axis defining the direction of the flow, each of which fits in the volume of a cylinder and is in contact with the surface of membranes (4), with at least one pair of vertices of the sides made of support beams (2) is connected with one another by means of two connectors (3) comprising mixing elements which are not in contact with the surface of both membranes (4) and forming between them an angle β<180°, each of the connectors (3) fits in the volume of a solid formed by twisting a cylinder along its longitudinal axis by 90°, the spacer having, at least on part of its surface, mixing elements fixed in the net mesh, each of which is made of two beams (101) of the height of 0.1-10 mm, preferably 0.3 mm, being support points of the membrane (103), which are in contact with the membrane (103) and comprise side edges of a polyhedron being a mesh of the net and are connected by at least two connectors (102a) and (102b), intersecting at an angle (γ) in the range of 0-180°, preferably 30°, or interweaving in at least one point of a flat projection on a plain defined by axes of the beams (101). The spacer makes it possible to minimize fluid flow resistance and operate with a high linear flow velocity in constant conditions.

Disclosed are systems and processes for the removal and conversion of pollutants in water. A system includes a set of electrodes with at least one electrode having an integrated catalyst material. The system is operatable in a first, electrodialysis mode in which one or more pollutants are separated from a feedwater stream, and a second electrolysis mode in which the separated pollutant(s) are catalytically converted into benign products by way of the catalyst material of the electrode. Electrodialysis and electrolysis are therefore carried out using the same unit.

In a method and a system for decolorizing and deodorizing a polyhydric alcohol according to embodiments of the present invention, a mixture liquid containing a first polyhydric alcohol obtained by a separation process is prepared. The mixture liquid is subjected to a distillation treatment to preliminarily remove substances with different colors and odors to generate a pre-treatment liquid. The pre-treatment liquid is subjected to an adsorption treatment. Through a combination of the distillation treatment and the adsorption treatment, the removing efficiency of the substances with different colors and odors can be increased.

Air flows across an air-liquid interface such that liquid desiccant flowing through the interface absorbs water from the air and is thereby diluted to form an output stream. The output stream is circulated through an electrodialytic stack having a central ionic exchange membrane and first and second outer ionic exchange membranes. A redox shuttle loop circulates around the first and second outer ionic exchange membranes. A voltage is applied across the electrodialytic stack, which regenerates the liquid desiccant.

Process for upgrading effluent treatment plants for pulp and paper production processes, where salts are removed from the effluent for water reuse and chemical recovery. The process comprises a first dialysis system for salt removal, a second treatment system for recovery or re-concentration, and optionally a post-treatment of the re-concentrate preventing liquid discharges to the environment. In the first system, a reversible electrodialysis or reversible pulsed step is carried out, separating the salts from the effluent, which are sent to the second treatment system to concentrate the salts (re-concentrate) or transform them into useful chemicals for the same process (recovery). Chemical recovery is achieved by electrodialysis with bipolar membranes or metathesis, to reduce the re-concentrate stream, which cannot be reused in the same plant. Lastly, this stream may be treated by spray drying, crystallization or evaporation.