A method and system of removing environmental contaminants from water comprising adding a fatty chemical to form a mixture with the water in which the fatty chemical and the environmental contaminants complex to form molecular complexes. The mixture is then filtered to remove the molecular complexes from the water.

A method for efficient separation and enrichment of lithium includes the following steps: pretreatment: diluting and filtering salina aged brine to obtain pretreated brine; separation: separating the pretreated brine via a nanofiltration separation system to obtain nanofiltration permeate and nanofiltration concentrate, wherein the operation pressure of the nanofiltration separation system is 1.0 MPa˜5.0 MPa; first concentration: carrying out first concentration on the nanofiltration permeate via a reverse osmosis system to obtain reverse osmosis concentrate and reverse osmosis permeate; and second concentration: carrying out second concentration on the reverse osmosis concentrate via an electrodialysis system to obtain electrodialysis concentrate and electrodialysis permeate, wherein the electrodialysis concentrate is a solution enriching lithium ions. The present application couples several different membrane separation technologies and adopts the monovalent ion selective nanofiltration membrane having good separation performance in the process of nanofiltration.

The water dispensing device of the present invention with the given flow path of water and the control circuit configured store at least two threshold TDS values X.sub.A and X.sub.B, wherein X.sub.A is a higher TDS value than X.sub.B; and to drain water from the treatment unit through the drain line, when TDS value sensed is higher than X.sub.A, and alternately when the sensed value of TDS is less than X.sub.B then direct water from the reject line into the first recycle line; it was seen that the TDS of the output water of the device was in a constant range and the device of the present invention also contributed to minimizing the wastage of water by allowing recycling of water through the reject line of the treatment unit.

Methods for producing a bioproduct selected from acetone, isopropanol and a combination thereof with a microorganism in a fermentor are disclosed. The methods include separating cells of the microorganism from a fermentation broth to form separated cells and recycling at least a fraction of the separated cells to the fermentor to achieve one or more of the following: (1) cell concentration in said fermentor greater than 2 g/L; mass yield on a first feedstock greater than 32%; productivity greater than 0.12 g/L/h; and bioproduct titer greater than 10 g/L.

A method of treatment of liquid in a liquid treatment system comprising: at least one liquid treatment module including at least one membrane and having a feed liquid inlet at a feed side of said at least one membrane, a permeate outlet at a permeate side of said at least one membrane, and a concentrate outlet at a brine side of said at least one membrane; a high pressure pump operative for pressurizing feed liquid to be received at said feed liquid inlet; and a system controller for controlling operation of the system including providing instructions to operate said high pressure pump in one of at least two operation modes including: a first mode in which the high pressure pump maintains a fixed flow rate of the feed liquid at said feed liquid inlet or of a permeate liquid at said permeate outlet, while energy consumption of said high pressure pump being a function of variations of a first operational parameter measured in the system and indicative of salinity of liquid within said at least one liquid treatment module, and a second mode in which the high pressure pump maintains a flow rate of the feed liquid at said feed liquid inlet or of a permeate liquid at said permeate outlet, while energy consumption of said high pressure pump being a function of a second operational parameter determined so as to reduce energy consumption of the high pressure pump; said method being performed under control of said system controller and comprising steps of: pressurizing feed liquid by said high pressure pump in said first mode; circulating a concentrate from said concentrate outlet to said feed liquid inlet; providing to said system controller a third operational parameter measured in the system and indicative of salinity of liquid within said liquid treatment module; and upon detecting that a predetermined first threshold of said third operational parameter is reached, operating said high pressure pump in said second mode.

A variable oil field fluid treatment system and method of use which utilizes a pump, a desanding hydrocyclone, and/or a non-consumable or consumable mechanical solids filter, a membrane filtration unit, a pump, a granular carbon filter, and/or combinations therein.

The water dispensing device of the present invention with the given flow path of water and the control circuit configured store at least two threshold TDS values X.sub.A and X.sub.B, wherein X.sub.A is a higher TDS value than X.sub.B; and to drain water from the treatment unit through the drain line, when TDS value sensed is higher than X.sub.A, and alternately when the sensed value of TDS is less than X.sub.B then direct water from the reject line into the first recycle line; it was seen that the TDS of the output water of the device was in a constant range and the device of the present invention also contributed to minimizing the wastage of water by allowing recycling of water through the reject line of the treatment unit.

A reverse osmosis main plant which may receive non-potable water and discharge out permeate through a permeate out line and concentrate through a concentrate line is disclosed.

A method for efficient separation and enrichment of lithium includes the following steps: pretreatment: diluting and filtering salina aged brine to obtain pretreated brine; separation: separating the pretreated brine via a nanofiltration separation system to obtain nanofiltration permeate and nanofiltration concentrate, wherein the operation pressure of the nanofiltration separation system is 1.0 MPa5.0 MPa; first concentration: carrying out first concentration on the nanofiltration permeate via a reverse osmosis system to obtain reverse osmosis concentrate and reverse osmosis permeate; and second concentration: carrying out second concentration on the reverse osmosis concentrate via an electrodialysis system to obtain electrodialysis concentrate and electrodialysis permeate, wherein the electrodialysis concentrate is a solution enriching lithium ions. The present application couples several different membrane separation technologies and adopts the monovalent ion selective nanofiltration membrane having good separation performance in the process of nanofiltration.

A multi-stage polymeric membrane module system separates a gas, such as air, into components of high purity. In at least two of the stages, a portion of the retentate gas is directed into the low-pressure side of the module, to act as a sweep gas. The use of the sweep gas reduces the partial pressure of permeate gas on the low-pressure side of the membrane, and therefore improves the flow of permeate through the membrane. In a preferred embodiment, there are three modules. The output streams are taken from the retentate outlet of one module, and from the permeate outlet of another module. The output streams have very high purity, relative to the number of modules required, as compared with systems of the prior art.