The present invention relates to a chemically modified anion exchange membrane and a method of preparing the same and, more particularly, an anion exchange membrane in which sulfonic acid groups in a perfluorinated sulfonic acid electrolyte membrane are substituted with anion conductive groups such as ammonium group, phosphonium group, imidazolium group, pyridinium group and sulfonium group, and a method of preparing an anion exchange membrane by chemically modifying sulfonic acid groups in a perfluorinated sulfonic acid electrolyte membrane.

A solar fuels generator includes an anolyte and a catholyte in contact with a separator. The separator is configured such that the pH of the anolyte and the pH of the catholyte are each held at a steady state pH level during operation of the solar fuels generator. The steady state pH level of the anolyte is different from the steady state pH level of the catholyte.

Tandem electrodialysis (ED) cell systems and methods for using the tandem ED cell systems to extract and recover ions from ion-containing solutions are provided. The tandem ED cell systems are composed of ion-extraction and ion-recovery ED cells. A redox couple contained in the anolyte of the ion-extraction ED cell is different from a redox couple contained in the catholyte of the ion-extraction ED cell. The electrode reactions in the ion-extraction ED cell are reversed in the ion-recovery ED cell, with the anolyte and catholyte of the two ED cells swapped and continuously circulated. As a result, the redox species in the anolyte and catholyte of the two cells are never depleted, which allows for achieving ion extraction and ion recovery with the use of a minimal amount of the redox couples.

A method of operating an electrochemical device includes periodically discharging a volume of concentrate reject in a timed batch cycle and replacing the concentrate reject with feed water. An electrochemical water treatment system includes a recycle line having a valve controlled by a control module. The control module periodically opens the valve to discharge concentrate reject from the recycle line in a batch timed cycle. The recycle line is fed with feed water to replace the discharged concentrate reject.

A method of operating an electrochemical device includes periodically discharging a volume of concentrate reject in a timed batch cycle and replacing the concentrate reject with feed water. An electrochemical water treatment system includes a recycle line having a valve controlled by a control module. The control module periodically opens the valve to discharge concentrate reject from the recycle line in a batch timed cycle. The recycle line is fed with feed water to replace the discharged concentrate reject.

A method for preparing sodium taurine as a taurine intermediate is provided in the present disclosure. The method comprises the following steps: providing sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate and an ammonia source; and placing the sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate and the ammonia source in an aminolysis reactor for an aminolysis reaction to obtain a mixture containing sodium taurine as a taurine intermediate, wherein the molar ratio of ammonia in the ammonia source to the sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate is greater than or equal to 25:1. A method for preparing taurine is further provided.

A method for preparing sodium taurine as a taurine intermediate is provided in the present disclosure. The method comprises the following steps: providing sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate and an ammonia source; and placing the sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate and the ammonia source in an aminolysis reactor for an aminolysis reaction to obtain a mixture containing sodium taurine as a taurine intermediate, wherein the molar ratio of ammonia in the ammonia source to the sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate is greater than or equal to 25:1. A method for preparing taurine is further provided.

An anion exchange membrane is made by mixing 2 trifluoroMethyl Ketone [nominal] (1.12 g, 4.53 mmol), 1 BiPhenyl (0.70 g, 4.53 mmol), methylene chloride (3.0 mL), trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFSA) (3.0 mL) to produce a pre-polymer. The pre-polymer is then functionalized to produce an anion exchange polymer. The pre-polymer may be functionalized with trimethylamamine in solution with water. The pre-polymer may be imbibed into a porous scaffold material, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene to produce a composite anion exchange membrane.

An anion exchange membrane is made by mixing 2 trifluoroMethyl Ketone [nominal] (1.12 g, 4.53 mmol), 1 BiPhenyl (0.70 g, 4.53 mmol), methylene chloride (3.0 mL), trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFSA) (3.0 mL) to produce a pre-polymer. The pre-polymer is then functionalized to produce an anion exchange polymer. The pre-polymer may be functionalized with trimethylamamine in solution with water. The pre-polymer may be imbibed into a porous scaffold material, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene to produce a composite anion exchange membrane.

A treatment of demineralization effluents, particularly recycling effluents, a method for demineralizing whey and treating the effluents, and a facility for implementation thereof. The treatment of whey demineralization effluents includes: i) supplying a whey demineralization effluent, ii) treating by reverse osmosis effluent recovered in i) to obtain a reverse osmosis permeate and retentate, iii) neutralizing the retentate pH, iv) treating the neutralized retentate by nanofiltration to obtain a permeate including monovalent ions and a retentate including divalent ions and residual organic materials, v) treating the permeate in iv) by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane to obtain acidic solution(s) and basic solution(s). Thus, it is possible to treat effluents, limit their environmental impact, generate solutions for the whey demineralization process, reduce the cost of whey demineralization because some process water from electrodialysis comes from treatment of the generated effluents, and reduce the total amount of effluent sent to the wastewater treatment plant.