The present disclosure is directed ion-exchange systems and devices that include composite ion-exchange membranes having 3D printed spacers on them. These 3D printed spacers can drastically reduce the total intermembrane spacing within the system/device while maintaining a reliable sealing surface around the exterior border of the membrane. By adding the spacers directly to the membrane using additive manufacturing, the amount of material used can be reduced without adversely impacting the manufacturability of the composite membrane as well as allow for complex spacer geometries that can reduce the restrictions to flow resulting in less pressure drop associated with the flow in the active area of the membranes.

The present invention provides a process for recovering glycol from a process stream comprising glycol, water, dissolved salts, and hydrocarbons. The process comprises subjecting the process stream to a salt-enrichment process to obtain a salt-enriched stream having a salt concentration higher than salt concentration of the process stream, and a salt-reduced stream; subjecting the salt-enriched stream to a glycol reclaiming process to separate the salts and at least a portion of the hydrocarbons from the salt enriched stream to obtain a substantially salt-free water-glycol stream; and blending the salt reduced stream from the salt-enrichment process with the substantially salt-free stream to produce a reclaimed water-glycol stream

A power generation process is disclosed, the process comprises dissolving a solute (10) into an unsaturated stream (140) to produce a high concentration stream (130) and converting latent mixing energy present in a high concentration input stream (130) into power by passage through a power unit (20) in which the concentration of the high concentration input stream (130) is reduced. The process comprises using a reduced concentration output stream (140) derived from the high concentration input stream (130) following passage through the power unit (20) as the unsaturated stream (140). A first fraction of the high concentration stream (130) is passed to the power unit (20) for use as the high concentration input stream (130) and a second fraction of the high concentration stream (130) is output from the process.

Provided are spacers, ion-exchange devices comprising spacers, and methods of preparing spacers for improved fluid distribution and sealing throughout an ion-exchange device. These spacers can include an internal cavity surrounded by a perimeter of the spacer. The perimeter can have a first opening and a second opening within the perimeter, and the first opening and the second opening can be located on opposite sides of the internal cavity. The spacers can also have a first and second plurality of channels located within the perimeter, wherein each channel of the first and second plurality of channels extends from the internal cavity towards the first opening or the second opening.

Compositions, systems, and methods for selectively leaching and/or extracting lithium from sedimentary deposits and other resources are generally described.

Compositions, systems, and methods for selectively leaching and/or extracting lithium from sedimentary deposits and other resources are generally described.

The present invention includes a method including providing an anode and a cathode; providing a desalination device operably coupled to establish an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode when the desalination device is operating; providing water containing dissolved solids; thereby establishing the electrical potential; reducing a salinity of the water by supplying the water to the desalination device; and generating electrical power by reducing the salinity of the water.

A method for desalination is provided. An electric potential difference is applied across a saline solution, where a salinity of the saline solution is in a range of 2.5 to 7.8 parts per thousand. The saline solution is separated, using electrodialysis, into a concentrated saline solution and a first diluate. The concentrated saline solution is transferred to a reverse osmosis chamber. The concentrated saline solution is pumped through a partially permeable membrane, thereby removing salt ions from the concentrated saline solution, and creating a second diluate and a brine solution. A pressure of the solution is then increased, using a pressure exchanger, by transferring water pressure from the brine solution to the concentrated saline solution. The first diluate and the second diluate are combined, where a first recovery ratio of the first diluate is greater than a second recovery ratio of the second diluate.

In an aspect, a hydrogen separation unit includes an electrochemical cell stack that includes a separator stack located in between an anode side and a cathode side; a mixed gas conduit for receiving a mixed gas stream to the anode side; an anode removal conduit for removing a helium rich stream from the anode side; and a cathode removal conduit for removing a hydrogen rich stream from the cathode side. The separation stack includes a plurality of electrochemical cells, each of which includes a proton exchange membrane located in between an anode and a cathode. The proton exchange membrane can include a cation. The separation stack can be a cascading separation stack.

A method for producing lithium hydroxide that allows reducing a load of removing divalent or more ions with an ion-exchange resin is provided. The method for producing lithium hydroxide includes steps (1) to (3) below. (1) a neutralization step: a step of adding an alkali to a first lithium chloride containing liquid to obtain a post-neutralization liquid, (2) an ion-exchange step: a step of bringing the post-neutralization liquid into contact with an ion-exchange resin to obtain a second lithium chloride containing liquid, and (3) a conversion step: a step of electrodialyzing the second lithium chloride containing liquid to obtain a lithium hydroxide containing liquid. Since this producing method allows roughly removing divalent or more ions in the neutralization step, a load of metal removal with the ion-exchange resin is reducible.