A device for the electrodeionization of a sample liquid. The device has an anode chamber having two openings and an anode, a cathode chamber having two openings and a cathode, and a treatment chamber, that is arranged between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber and has two openings and ion exchanger. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated from the treatment chamber in each case by a permselective membrane and an energy source is operatively connected to the anode and the cathode. In addition, a method for the electrodeionization of a sample liquid is provided.

Radioactive nuclides (radionuclides) are separate from an aqueous radioactive liquid by feeding the liquid into a chamber between a porous anode and a porous cathode of a shock electrodialysis device. Meanwhile, an anolyte is fed through the porous anode, and a catholyte is fed through the porous cathode. A voltage is applied to the porous anode and to the porous cathode to create a voltage differential across the chamber. The liquid is passed through the chamber, and cations are selectively driven from the liquid into the cathode by the voltage differential. The voltage differential creates a desalination shock that produces an ion-enriched zone on one side of the desalination shock and a deionized zone on an opposite side. A brine including the radioactive cations is extracted from the ion-enriched zone through a brine outlet, and fresh water is extracted from the deionized zone through a fresh-water outlet.

A purification device is provided. The purification device includes: an injection channel having an inlet provided on one end thereof; a purification channel and a discharge channel which branch off from the other end of the injection channel via a mesh part, and the remaining substance to be purified is discharged through the discharge channel; an ion-selective membrane contacting at least one side of the mesh part; and a buffer part arranged on the other side of the ion-selective membrane which is in contact with the mesh part, wherein the mesh part has an ion-selective coating layer formed on the surface thereof, and when an electric field is applied, an ion concentration polarization phenomenon occurs to the other end of the injection channel and to the adjacent portion of the mesh part, whereby an ion depletion zone is formed.

Method of desalination and wastewater treatment in a microbial desalination cell reactor is provided, the microbial desalination cell reactor has three compartments, an anodic compartment, a cathodic compartment and a saline compartment, the method is carried out by (a) adding electrically conductive particles or electrically conductive material in the anodic compartment and cathodic compartment, (b) adding bacteria species of the genus Geobacter in the anodic compartment and several solutions in the compartments (c) replacing the solutions in the cathodic compartment and in the saline compartment and (d) oxidizing organic matter present in wastewater by bacteria from the genus Geobacter in the anodic compartment and desalinating the solution in the saline compartment and (e)after 20 to 30 operation cycles, replacing the solution in the saline compartment by a solution of hypochlorite salt.

A microchannel-membrane device comprises a microchannel extending through at least one electrode, the microchannel having a predetermined depth; an ionic permselective medium, such as a membrane, across the microchannel between the electrodes; and a heater, or array of heaters, embedded below the microchannel on at least one side of the permselective membrane. The heaters can be either prefabricated or dynamically patterned using laser illumination with/without photoconductive coating. The heaters are on the depletion side of the membrane and induce a vortex which limits the growth of the diffusion area. Operation of the heaters allows for controlled positioning of the end of the diffusion area and with it also the position of the preconcentrated molecule plug.

Drainage water that includes anions and cations dissolved in water and that is received from an agricultural or industrial facility is treated by applying a voltage to an anode and a cathode on opposite sides of an electrically driven separation apparatus that further includes at least one monovalent-selective ion exchange membrane between the anode and the cathode. The drainage water is passed through the electrically driven separation apparatus, wherein monovalent ions are selected from the drainage water through the monovalent-selective ion exchange membrane. The drainage water is then recirculated as treated water through the facility after the monovalent ions are removed.

A process for the removal of divalent cations, such as calcium and magnesium, from a saline aqueous solution such as a natural brine comprising lithium, using an electrolytic cell comprising at least one anion exchange membrane. The process allows removal of undesired components before lithium recovery, by reducing their concentrations to less than 0.1% of their original concentration in the brine while the lithium concentration remains unchanged.

A lithium-generating system can include a lithium-containing source feed, a hardness reduction unit, and a bipolar electrodialysis or electrolysis unit. The lithium-containing source feed can provide a lithium-containing material. The hardness reduction unit can be configured to receive the lithium-containing material and reduce the hardness thereof yet still be over 10 ppm upon processing by the hardness reduction unit. The bipolar electrodialysis unit can process the lithium-containing material and generate an aqueous LiOH product. The hardness reduction unit is configured to produce a hardness level within a given hardness-reduced lithium-containing material to be within an upper operational limit of at least one bipolar membrane, in addition to being at a given hardness level of over 10 ppm. The lithium-generating system can further include components to facilitate production of Li.sub.2CO.sub.3 and/or LiOH.Math.H.sub.2O.

Water treatment systems including electrically-driven and pressure-driven separation apparatus configured to produce a first treated water suitable for use as irrigation water and a second treated water suitable for use as potable water from brackish or saline water and methods of operation of same.

Systems and methods for catalyzed asymmetric bipolar membranes are described. Catalyzed asymmetric bipolar membranes can sustain desired current densities under low operational voltage for prolonged time periods. Catalyzed asymmetric bipolar membranes can be implemented in electrodialysis cells for various applications such as carbon capture.