Provided are metal oxide ceramic materials and intermediate materials thereof (e.g., nanozirconia gels, nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles). The nanozirconia gels are formable gels. Also provided are methods of making and using the metal oxide materials and intermediate materials. The nanozirconia gels can be made using, for example, osmotic processing. The nanozirconia gels can be used to make nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental article. The nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles have desirable properties (e.g., optical properties and mechanical properties).

Provided is a sewage treatment device and method for synchronously recovering water and electric energy, belonging to the field of sewage treatment. The method includes the following steps: providing municipal sewage serving as influent water and a sludge and sewage mixed solution serving as a feed solution to enter a feed solution channel of a membrane component through a peristaltic pump, and allowing brine serving as a draw solution to enter a draw solution channel of the membrane component through a high pressure pump; allowing water to flow from the side of the feed solution to the side of the draw solution by means of the osmotic pressure difference between two sides of an FO membrane, and allowing the mixed draw solution with high pressure to push a turbine to rotate in an outflow process, so as to generate electric energy; and allowing the diluted draw solution to pass through a draw solution recovery system to obtain recycled water, and at the same time, allowing the concentrated draw solution to continue to be applied to the FO membrane.

A fluid treatment apparatus includes: a first tank portion arranged to receive a first fluid from a first fluid source; a second tank portion adapted to contain a second fluid and receive water molecules of the first fluid from the first tank portion, wherein the concentration of the second fluid is higher than that of the first fluid; a third tank portion arranged to collect the water molecules of the first fluid from the second tank portion; a first membrane positioned between the first and second tank portions and arranged to filter the water molecules of the first fluid from the first tank portion; and a second membrane positioned between the second and third tank portions and arranged to obtain the water molecules of the first fluid from the second tank portion, wherein the second membrane has a greater permeability than that of the first membrane.

Devices, methods, and systems for producing a concentrated feed stream and a diluted feed stream using a solute stream provided to the low pressure side of the semi-permeable membrane during a reverse osmosis process. The process includes providing a semipermeable membrane having a first side and a second side and introducing a first feed solution stream on the first side of the membrane and a second feed solution stream on the second side, wherein the osmotic pressure of the of the first feed solution stream is greater than or equal to the osmotic pressure of the second feed solution stream. The process further includes exerting hydrostatic pressure on the first side of the membrane such that solvent passes from the first side to the second side thereby producing a concentrated first feed solution stream and a diluted second feed solution stream. Devices and systems for performing the processes are provided.

A hollow fiber membrane element, comprising: a core tube comprising a side face having a plurality of pores; and a hollow fiber membrane group consisting of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed around the core tube, the hollow fiber membrane element being a both open-ended type hollow fiber membrane element in which both ends of the core tube and the plurality of hollow fiber membranes are open. The hollow fiber membrane group includes a first hollow fiber membrane layer composed of a plurality of first hollow fiber membranes disposed so as to surround the core tube and a second hollow fiber membrane layer composed of a plurality of second hollow fiber membranes disposed so as to surround the first hollow fiber membrane layer, and a permeability coefficient of the plurality of first hollow fiber membranes is smaller than a permeability coefficient of the plurality of second hollow fiber membranes.

The present invention relates to a method for concentrating, with low energy, a solute-containing solution in a state of multiple-no osmotic pressure difference (M(multiple)−Δπ=0 RO), and, more specifically, to a method for concentrating, with low energy, an solute-containing solution intended to be concentrated, as a low pressure in a state of multiple-no osmotic pressure difference. The method for concentrating a solution containing a solute at a low pressure in a state of multiple-no osmotic pressure difference, of the present invention, consumes less energy, enables concentration to be performed until a saturated aqueous solution with a maximum solute concentration is obtained or the concentration of the solute becomes 100% even though an extraction solvent is not used, and does not require the use of an additional osmosis-inducing solution.

Provided are a system and a method of treating wastewater. The system includes a forward osmosis (FO) liquid concentration apparatus and an electrodialysis (ED) apparatus. The FO liquid concentration apparatus increases the concentration of the salt in the wastewater to between 7% and 14%. The ED apparatus is disposed downstream of the FO liquid concentration apparatus and coupled to the FO liquid concentration apparatus to receive the wastewater introduced by the FO liquid concentration apparatus, and make the salt in the wastewater into an acid solution and a basic solution.

The present invention relates to a thermo-responsive solution and in particular, a solution for use in an osmosis process that is suitable for separating or purifying solutes and or water from an aqueous solution on a large scale and under energy efficient conditions.

Described herein are polysulfone-based and polyether sulfone-based thin-film nanocomposite (TFNC) membranes produced by solution blow spinning (SBS) technology for forward osmosis applications, including desalination and wastewater treatment. These TFNC membranes exhibit ultra-fast water flux, low reverse salt flux, and fouling resistance.

A high salinity water purification system and process, including a forward osmosis system and a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration system. A solids membrane separation system removes solids from the influent water being processed. A pervaporation (PV) system eliminates liquid impurities from the influent water being processed.