A deaerator includes a vessel having a chamber defined by an outer wall; and a tray module detachably connected to the vessel, the tray module having a plurality of deaerator trays which are connected to one another in a spaced relationship to form a stack which is suspended within the chamber.

Provided herein are processes for recovering lithium ions from a brine source. The process can comprises increasing the pH of a brine source comprising lithium ions to at least about 5.5; contacting the pH-elevated brine source with a bed of protonated ion exchange media to produce a lithiated ion exchange media and a lithium-depleted brine stream; contacting the lithiated ion exchange media with an acidic aqueous wash liquid; and contacting the washed lithiated ion exchange media with an elution liquid comprising an acid. Also provided herein is a process for increasing the pH of brine comprising obtaining brine from a brine source comprising lithium ions; adding the brine to a continuously stirred tank reactor without preprocessing the brine to remove solid matter; adding a strong base to the continuously stirred tank reactor; contacting the brine with the base. Further provided herein are processes for creating a lithiated ion exchange media, which can comprise contacting a pH-elevated brine source with a bed of protonated ion exchange media; and producing a lithiated ion exchange media and a spent brine, wherein the bed of protonated ion exchange media comprises a metal oxide absorbent and a polymeric binder.

Provided are porous polymeric filter membranes comprising a polymer having admixed therein at least one carbonaceous material. The membranes are capable of removing trace amounts of various impurities from a liquid composition, including metal ions, acids, bases, and organic contaminants.

A sewage treatment device includes a fluidized bed body, a reflux device and a chemical feeding device. The fluidized bed body is sequentially provided with a sedimentation zone, a transition zone and a fluidization zone from top to bottom. The reflux device is connected to the fluidized bed body through a reflux pipe. The reflux pipe extends into the fluidized bed body from the sedimentation zone, and the granularity of a crystal product can be controlled by changing the height of a reflux inlet at the bottom end of the reflux pipe in the fluidized bed body. By controlling the position of the reflux inlet of the reflux pipe in the fluidized bed body, combining product granularity requirements, and adjusting an insertion depth of the reflux pipe, the granularity of a final product can be flexibly regulated and controlled, and meanwhile, a product recovery rate is improved.

Provided are electrodialysis systems comprising a plurality of electrodialysis devices, wherein each electrodialysis device of the plurality of electrodialysis devices has a product inlet stream, a product outlet stream, a brine inlet stream, and a brine outlet stream. The product inlet stream for a first electrodialysis device comprises the brine outlet stream of a second electrodialysis device. Further, a first portion of a feed stream is the brine inlet stream for the first electrodialysis device and a second portion of the feed stream is the brine inlet stream for the second electrodialysis device or a third electrodialysis device.

The present invention provides an improved catalytic fast pyrolysis process for increased yield of useful and desirable products. In particular, the process comprises an improved catalytic fast pyrolysis process for producing aromatic compounds, such as, for example, benzene, toluene and xylenes, from biomass feedstock containing impurities, such as, for example alkali and alkaline earth metal, sulfur and nitrogen components.

A novel Salt Repellent Technique is presented to remove all inorganic salts from seawater to get potable water. The repellent additives recommended throws out all salts of sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium and the like ions from seawater and paves way to get salt free potable water. The conventional washing of ice crystals is completely avoided due to the presence of additives. This technique helps to remove last traces of salts from seawater and analogous waters, without undertaking the conventional washing process. The new salt repellent process assures of high water recovery, ease of operation, lesser pollution, smaller plants, simpler machinery and technology, lower energy cost, nil or lesser pre-treatment and recovery of valuable by-products. To reduce the TDS still lower, it is recommended to have a simplified reverse osmosis unit in addition, as a post-operative arrangement.

The invention relates to a system for reducing the hardness of a water body. According to the system, the acidic water body near a filter element anode is continuously extracted in the electrolytic process, the effect of acid-alkali separation can be achieved without internally disposing an ion exchange membrane, acid-alkali mixing generated by electrodes slows down, the alkaline atmosphere of a cathode chamber is kept, and a good environment is provided for generation of calcium carbonate seed crystals; and meanwhile, the acidic water body extracted near the anode of an electrochemical electrolysis unit can be used for regenerating ion exchange resin in an ion exchange column, so that resources are fully utilized.

Methods and systems for the extraction of metals from an aqueous feed solution containing the metal ions. The aqueous feed solution is contacted with one side of a hydrophilic membrane support while an organic liquid is contacted with an opposite side of the hydrophilic membrane support. Metal ions migrate from the aqueous feed solution through the membrane support and into the organic liquid. The metal ions may be re-extracted from the organic liquid using a strip solution. The steps of extraction and reextraction may be carried out in a system including two hollow fiber membrane modules that each include a plurality of hydrophilic polymer hollow fibers.

Disclosed are a system and methods for producing lithium hydroxide directly from natural brine by an electrochemical approach. In one example version of the system, an electrochemical cell operates in two states. In one state, lithium cations (Li.sup.+) intercalate into a first electrode from the brine, and sodium cations (Na.sup.+) deintercalate from a second electrode into the brine. In another state, lithium cations deintercalate from the first electrode into a dilute lithium hydroxide (LiOH) solution, and sodium cations intercalate to the second electrode from a concentrated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. Hydroxide anions (OH.sup.−) transport through an anion exchange membrane to combine with lithium cations (Li.sup.+) to form LiOH, continuously increasing its concentration.