A process for producing pure lactic acid from a whey by-product rich in lactose and minerals, for example delactosed why permeate or concentrated whey permeate, is described. The method comprises upstream steps of neutralising the whey by-product with a basic metal hydroxide to form a precipitate comprising calcium and phosphate, and separating the precipitate from the whey by-product to provide a clarified whey by-product. The clarified whey by-product is fermentated by a bacterium capable of bioconversion of lactose to lactic acid to provide a fermentation broth containing a lactic acid salt. In the downstream steps, the fermentation broth is acidified to release lactic acid from the lactic acid salt, precipitate from the broth produced by acidification is removed, and the acidified fermentation broth is treated to recover pure lactic acid by removal of residual salts, and water, and optionally protein. The process of the invention produces lactic acid having a purity of 80-98% and an isomeric purity of >98% L-lactic acid using a process that employs upstream removal of divalent salts by chemical precipitation, bacterial fermentation of the demineralised substrate, and minimum downstream processing of the fermentation broth. The methods of the invention may also be employed with milk permeates.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a desalination system. In some embodiments, the desalination system includes one or more recycle seawater systems configured to receive one or more concentrated brine streams produced by the desalination system and generate one or more recycle brine streams using the one or more concentrated brine streams and desalinated water.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a desalination system. In some embodiments, the desalination system includes one or more recycle seawater systems configured to receive one or more concentrated brine streams produced by the desalination system and generate one or more recycle brine streams using the one or more concentrated brine streams and desalinated water.

A process for preparing a metal hydroxide comprising (i) at least one metal chosen from nickel and cobalt and optionally (ii) at least one metal chosen from manganese, lithium and aluminum. The process comprises: reacting a metal sulfate comprising (i) at least one metal chosen from nickel and cobalt and optionally (iii) at least one metal chosen from manganese and aluminum with sodium hydroxide and optionally a chelating agent in order to obtain a solid comprising the metal hydroxide and a liquid comprising sodium sulfate; separating the liquid and the solid from one another to obtain the metal hydroxide; submitting the liquid comprising sodium sulfate to an electromembrane process for converting the sodium sulfate into sodium hydroxide; and reusing the sodium hydroxide obtained by the electromembrane process for reacting with the metal sulfate.

Separation processes using osmotically driven membrane systems are disclosed generally involving the extraction of solvent from a first solution to concentrate solute by using a second concentrated solution to draw the solvent from the first solution across a semi-permeable membrane. Enhanced efficiency may result from using low grade waste heat from industrial or commercial sources. Pre-treatment and post-treatment may also enhance the osmotically driven membrane processes.

It is an object of the invention to provide a process for producing an organic acid, comprising: providing an incoming stream containing an organic acid and impurities; subjecting said incoming stream to a step of chromatographic separation, using a solution of mineral acid as an eluent, so as to collect an extract and a raffinate, the organic acid being recovered in the extract; and subjecting the raffinate to an electrodialysis step, so as to collect a diluate and a concentrate, the mineral acid being concentrated in the concentrate. The invention also provides an installation for implementing this process.

It is an object of the invention to provide a process for producing an organic acid, comprising: providing an incoming stream containing an organic acid and impurities; subjecting said incoming stream to a step of chromatographic separation, using a solution of mineral acid as an eluent, so as to collect an extract and a raffinate, the organic acid being recovered in the extract; and subjecting the raffinate to an electrodialysis step, so as to collect a diluate and a concentrate, the mineral acid being concentrated in the concentrate. The invention also provides an installation for implementing this process.

A beverage dispenser has a supply opening that supplies an aqueous liquid from a source; a recooling heat exchanger having a heat receiving portion, a recooling inlet and a recooling outlet; a reverse osmosis filter having an inlet for aqueous liquid, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet; and a cooling device having a cooling portion extracting heat energy from the permeate and a heat dissipation portion dissipating energy to the heat receiving portion of the recooling heat exchanger. The heat dissipation portion of the cooling device is thermally coupled with the heat receiving portion of the recooling heat exchanger. The cooling portion of the cooling device is thermally coupled with the permeate exiting the permeate outlet of the reverse osmosis filter, wherein the permeate enters the cooling portion by a cooling portion permeate inlet and exits the cooling portion by a cooling portion permeate outlet.

An aqueous solution flows through a desalination system that separates the aqueous solution into purified water and concentrated brine. The concentrated brine is directed into an electrodialysis system that includes an anode and a cathode and at least two monovalent selective ion exchange membranes between the anode and the cathode. At least one of the monovalent selective ion exchange membranes separates at least one diluate channel from at least one concentrate channel in the electrodialysis system, and this membrane selectively allows at least one monovalent ion to pass through the membrane while blocking or inhibiting the transport therethrough of multi-valent ions. The concentrated brine flows through at least the concentrate channel while a voltage is applied to the anode and cathode; and additional aqueous solution flows through the diluate channel.

A process for purifying a compound of formula 1, ##STR00001##
includes the following steps: a) adding an acid to an aqueous solution of the compound of formula 1, including salts and hydrates thereof so as to obtain a slurry having a pH3; and b) filtering the slurry and at least one time washing the obtained precipitate with a liquid comprising water; and c) dissolving the precipitate obtained in step b) in water to obtain an aqueous solution; and d) filtering of the solution obtained in step c) over a nanofiltration membrane having a Molecular Weight Cut Off in the range from 150 to 500 and wherein optionally, between step c) and step d) the pH of the aqueous solution is adjusted to a pH value in the pH range as specified by the manufacturer of the nanofiltration membrane. A process for preparing a gadolinium complex of the purified compound of formula 1 is also disclosed. This gadolinium complex can be used for making a pharmaceutical composition as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging.