A method includes: (1) using a chelating agent, extracting divalent ions from a brine solution as complexes of the chelating agent and the divalent ions; (2) using a weak acid, regenerating the chelating agent and producing a divalent ion salt solution; and (3) introducing carbon dioxide to the divalent ion salt solution to induce precipitation of the divalent ions as a carbonate salt. Another method includes: (1) combining water with carbon dioxide to produce a carbon dioxide solution; (2) introducing an ion exchanger to the carbon dioxide solution to induce exchange of alkali metal cations included in the ion exchanger with protons included in the carbon dioxide solution and to produce a bicarbonate salt solution of the alkali metal cations; and (3) introducing a brine solution to the bicarbonate salt solution to induce precipitation of divalent ions from the brine solution as a carbonate salt.

The invention provides a device with a steam function, wherein the device includes a water supply opening, a scale inhibitor dosing element, a flow control device, a heating unit, a scale collector element, and a water processing unit. Further, the flow control device provides a fluid including water to flow from the water supply opening via the heating unit to the water processing unit; the scale inhibitor dosing element provides a scale inhibitor to the water at a location in the heating unit and/or upstream of the heating unit; the heating unit includes heating the water in a heating mode and for converting the water into steam in a steam formation mode; and the scale collector element is arranged downstream of the heating unit and upstream of a flow restriction, wherein the scale collector element includes collecting scale particles from the fluid flowing through the scale collector element.

Disclosed is a method of treating a clinical analyser wastewater stream containing a first concentration of azide ions in solution, comprising at least the step of passing the clinical analyser wastewater stream through an anodic oxidation chamber having one or more anodic oxidation cells to provide a post-chamber treated water stream, said treated water stream having a second concentration of azide ions in solution that is less than the first concentration of azide ions in solution. A clinical analyser treatment apparatus comprising an anodic oxidation chamber having one or more anodic oxidation cells able to reduce a concentration of azide ions is also disclosed.

Methods and systems are provided for treating a contaminated environmental medium. In one example, the treatment includes adding a first jarosite-group mineral to the contaminated environmental medium to form a wet mixture under a set of conditions. The set of conditions is maintained over a duration of time to expedite precipitation of a second jarosite-group mineral, the second jarosite-group mineral incorporating contaminant cations and contaminant anions into a structure of the second jarosite-group mineral. The first jarosite-group mineral is added in situ at a contamination site.

A method and system is provided for treating waste generated from manufacturing operations including at least one of Printed Circuit Boards Fabrication (PCB FAB), General Metal Finishing (GMF), semiconductors manufacturing, chemical milling, and Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD). The method and system are used to create zero liquid discharge recycling.

An ion-exchange apparatus has a raw-water tank 1, a treatment tank 2, an ion exchanger 3 and a voltage applying device E. The raw-water tank 1 contains a to be treated liquid that has impurity ions. The treatment tank 2 contains a treatment material with exchange ions exchangeable with the impurity ions. The ion exchanger 3 enables the passage of the impurity ions from the raw-water tank 1 to the treatment tank 2 and the passage of the exchange ions from the treatment tank 2 to the raw-water tank 1. The voltage-applying device E applies a voltage to the ion exchanger 3.

A system (10) for washing items (12) with purified water alone, comprising a washing machine (11), a water purification apparatus (19), and a reservoir (20) for storing purified water, wherein the water purification apparatus (19) comprises a reverse osmosis device (26) and first and second deionizing materials. The washing machine (11) comprises a container (13) for receiving the items (12) to be washed, and said container (13) is arranged with an inlet connected to the reservoir (20), so that the items (12) are washable inside the container (13) with the purified water. The system (10) further comprises a tank (24) for collecting used water from the container (13), wherein an inlet of the tank (24) is connected to an outlet of the container (13). The system (10) also comprises a sediment filter (28) for filtering off particulate solids from the used water, wherein the sediment filter (28) is arranged between the tank (24) and the water purification apparatus (19).

A water softener apparatus comprising a housing having a chamber for accommodating at least one compressed salt block having an elongated block form, the configuration accommodating the compressed salt block within the chamber with its longitudinal axis in a vertical orientation. The water softener apparatus includes a manually detachable front cover enclosing the chamber and a non-touch salt level indicator device arranged in or on the front cover of the housing above the chamber to determine a salt level from an upper end face of the compressed salt block accommodated in the chamber, the non-touch salt level indicator device determining the salt level from the upper end face of the compressed salt block through a wall of the front cover of the housing. The non-touch salt level indicator device is a battery powered device and the water softener apparatus is a non-electric powered water softener apparatus.

Various examples related to resin wafer technologies including ionomers and resin wafers with solution processable ionomers and their production are provided. In one example, a wafer includes an ion conducting layer having ion-exchange resin particles and an ionomer binder coating the ion-exchange resin particles. The ionomer binder can bind the ion-exchange resin particles together in the ion conducting layer. In another example, the wafer can contain water dissociation catalysts for promoting water-splitting in the wafers.

This invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt ions and tungstic acid and/or its derivatives from aqueous solutions, such as in particular the spent catalytic waters deriving from processes for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils. In particular this invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt ions and tungstic acid and/or its derivatives which provides for the use of cation-exchange resins.