Various embodiments include a method for electrochemical utilization of carbon dioxide comprising: reducing carbon dioxide to a product gas in an electrolysis cell of an electrolyzer; delivering the product gas comprising carbon dioxide into a gas scrubbing apparatus; scrubbing the product gas to remove carbon dioxide using an absorbent in the gas scrubbing apparatus; regenerating the absorbent in an electrodialysis cell of an electrodialysis unit; at least partly recycling the regenerated absorbent into the gas scrubbing apparatus; and at least partly recycling the carbon dioxide released during the regenerating as reactant gas into the electrolyzer.

A method for preparing a membrane stack for electrodialysis as well as a membrane stack according to the method for preparing a membrane stack for electrodialysis and the use of the membrane stack. The membrane stack includes at least two membranes, a cation-exchange membrane and an anion-exchange membrane, in which the at least two membranes include at least one flow channel, an inlet and an outlet wherein the at least two membranes further comprise an edge surrounding the at least one flow channel, the inlet and the outlet.

There are provided processes for preparing lithium hydroxide that comprise submitting an aqueous composition comprising a lithium compound to an electrolysis or an electrodialysis under conditions suitable for converting at least a portion of the lithium compound into lithium hydroxide. For example, the lithium compound can be lithium sulphate and the aqueous composition can be at least substantially maintained at a pH having a value of about 1 to about 4.

A device and method are described for the treatment of blood, which device may be used in conjunction with or in place of a failed Kidney. The device includes an ultrafiltration unit to remove proteins, red and white blood cells and other high molecular weight components, a nanofiltration unit to remove glucose, at least one electrodeionization unit to transport ions from the blood stream, and a reverse osmosis unit to modulate the flow of water, to both the blood and urine streams. In one embodiment, a specialized electrodeionization unit is provided having multiple chambers defining multiple dilute fluid channels, each channel filled with an ion specific resin wafer, and electrodes at the extremity of the device and proximate each of the resin filled dilute channels. By selective application of voltages to these electrodes, the ion transport functionality of a given dilute channel can be turned on or off.

A dual-membrane on-line generator for an acid or alkali solution is provided, including an upper electrolytic cell body (3), a middle electrolytic cell body (4) and a lower electrolytic cell body (5) which are clamped by an upper fastening steel plate (1) and a lower fastening steel plate (2), an upper regeneration liquid channel (A), a middle eluent channel (B) and a lower regeneration liquid channel (C) being provided on the middle electrolytic cell body (4).

This invention relates to an improved electrodialysis method for preparing an amino acid from a salt of the amino acid utilizing a three-compartment bipolar membrane electrodialysis process wherein an aqueous electrolyte comprising an exogenous acid is added to the acid compartment of a three-compartment bipolar membrane apparatus. The exogenous acid is different than the amino acid and typically has a pKa less than the pKa of the amino acid.

A method for preparing battery grade and high purity grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from high-impurity lithium sources includes steps for preparation of a refined lithium salt solution, preparation of battery grade lithium hydroxide, preparation of high purity grade lithium hydroxide, preparation of high purity grade lithium carbonate and preparation of battery grade lithium carbonate. The system to carry out the preparation includes a refined lithium salt solution preparation subsystem, a battery grade lithium hydroxide preparation subsystem, a high purity grade lithium hydroxide preparation subsystem, a high purity grade lithium carbonate preparation subsystem and a battery grade lithium carbonate preparation subsystem arranged in turn according to production sequence. A combination of physical and chemical treatment methods are used to treat the high-impurity lithium sources having variations in lithium contents, impurity categories, and impurity contents.

The present invention relates to a method for recovering N from a liquid waste stream; such as a stream of urine or manure, such as human urine, said method comprising passing said waste stream through a multi-compartment electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM) system.

A method of cleaning used dialysis fluid having urea to produce a cleaned dialysis fluid, the method including passing the used dialysis fluid having urea through a combination electrodialysis and urea oxidation cell, the cell including (i) a first set of electrodes for separation of the used dialysis fluid having urea into an acid stream and a basic stream, wherein the first set of electrodes includes an anode and a cathode; (ii) one or more second set of electrodes positioned to contact the basic stream with an electrocatalytic surface for decomposition of urea via electrooxidation, wherein the one or more second set of electrodes includes an anode and a cathode; and (iii) at least one power source to provide the first and second sets of electrodes with an electrical charge to activate the electrocatalytic surface.

Described herein is an ion pump system implementing an electronic ratchet mechanism produced by modulating a spatially varying electric potential distribution that can result in a net ionic current and voltage. The ion pumping membrane system includes an ion-permeable layer that can also be integrated with ion-selective membranes. The electric potential distribution within the ion-permeable layer is modulated through external stimuli. When immersed in solution, ions within the ion-permeable layer experience a time varying, spatially asymmetric electric field distribution resulting in ratchet-driven direct ion pumping, which can be used in applications such as desalination.