A membrane-wafer assembly comprises a core resin-wafer (RW) having a first ionexchange surface comprising a thin anionic ionomer layer (AIL) bonded thereto, and a second ion exchange surface comprising a thin cationic ionomer layer (CIL) bonded thereto; wherein the resin-wafer comprises cation exchange resin beads and anion exchange resin beads bound together with a polymeric elastomer. A resin-wafer electrodeionization apparatus comprising a plurality of the membrane-wafer assemblies, and a method of preparing the membrane-wafer assembly also are described.

The present disclosure is directed to ion-exchange systems and devices that can monitor key parameters related to the performance of the ion-exchange device. Specifically, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can provide real time voltage drop across groups of membrane pairs using diagnostic spacer borders between the pairs. In addition, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can monitor the compression force applied by the compression plates holding the ion-exchange systems and devices together.

The invention relates to a method for removing and obtaining carbon dioxide from ambient air, comprising the continuous execution of the following steps: a) bringing ambient air into contact with an aqueous solution of at least one alkali metal or alkaline earth metal for the purpose of absorbing the carbon dioxide into the solution, forming the bicarbonate or carbonate of the at least one metal; b) electrodialysis of the resulting solution using a combination of bipolar ion-exchange membranes and ion-exchange membranes that are selective for mono- and multivalent anions to obtain one solution enriched in (bi-)carbonate anions and one solution depleted in (bi-)carbonate anions, wherein the solution depleted in (bi-)carbonate anions is recycled to step a); c) thermal desorption of the carbon dioxide from the solution, obtained in step b), enriched in (bi-)carbonate anions by means of steam stripping in order to obtain a carbon dioxide-steam mixture and a solution depleted in CO.sub.2 which is recycled to step (b), wherein a pH is set there of between 7 and 8.5 or between 8 and 9.5; and d) removing water from the obtained carbon dioxide-steam mixture by cooling to condense the steam, and possibly further drying of the carbon dioxide.

A device and method are described for the treatment of blood, which device may be used in conjunction with or in place of a failed Kidney. The device includes an ultrafiltration unit to remove proteins, red and white blood cells and other high molecular weight components, a nanofiltration unit to remove glucose, at least one electrodeionization unit to transport ions from the blood stream, and a reverse osmosis unit to modulate the flow of water, to both the blood and urine streams. In one embodiment, a specialized electrodeionization unit is provided having multiple chambers defining multiple dilute fluid channels, each channel filled with an ion specific resin wafer, and electrodes at the extremity of the device and proximate each of the resin filled dilute channels. By selective application of voltages to these electrodes, the ion transport functionality of a given dilute channel can be turned on or off.

Electrodeionization apparatuses, systems including a reactor system and an electrodeionization system, and methods of purifying acetic acid are provided herein. In some embodiments, the electrodeionization apparatus includes an anode, and three spaced apart membranes located between the anode and the cathode: a first cation exchange membrane, a first anion exchange membrane, a second cation exchange membrane, defining: a first electrode rinse passage between the anode and the first cation exchange membrane, a first concentrate passage between the first cation exchange membrane and the first anion exchange membrane, a feed stream passage located between the first anion exchange membrane and the second cation exchange membrane, and a second electrode rinse passage between the second cation exchange membrane and the cathode. In some embodiments, the electrodeionization apparatus also includes at least one propionate-selective ion exchange resin wafer within the feed stream passage.

Electrochemical water treatment devices are disclosed. The device includes an electrochemical separation module fluidly connectable to the source of water to be treated. The electrochemical separation module includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of dilution compartments. Each of the dilution compartments includes a first region of ion exchange media having a first average particle size, a second region of ion exchange media having a second average particle size, and a third region of ion exchange media having a third average particle size. A volume of the second region of ion exchange media being greater than or equal to a total volume of the first and third regions of ion exchange media. Methods of facilitating treatment of water containing weakly ionized species, e.g., dissolved boron containing species and dissolved silica containing species, are disclosed. Electrochemical separation modules are also disclosed.

A bipolar membrane electrodialysis method and system are described for purifying an organic acid from an aqueous solution containing the salt of the organic acid. The system includes a bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack that includes at least one three-compartment bipolar membrane electrodialysis cell and at least one two-compartment bipolar membrane electrodialysis cell. The method includes recirculating the solution of organic acid produced from the three-compartment bipolar membrane electrodialysis cell and two-compartment bipolar membrane electrodialysis cell. Cation or anion exchange resins may be included in the spacers of acid compartment to increase the conductivity of acid compartments, thereby increasing current density of the bipolar electrodialysis stack and decreasing power consumption.

A device and method are described for the treatment of blood, which device may be used in conjunction with or in place of a failed Kidney. The device includes an ultrafiltration unit to remove proteins, red and white blood cells and other high molecular weight components, a nanofiltration unit to remove glucose, at least one electrodeionization unit to transport ions from the blood stream, and a reverse osmosis unit to modulate the flow of water, to both the blood and urine streams. In one embodiment, a specialized electrodeionization unit is provided having multiple chambers defining multiple dilute fluid channels, each channel filled with an ion specific resin wafer, and electrodes at the extremity of the device and proximate each of the resin filled dilute channels. By selective application of voltages to these electrodes, the ion transport functionality of a given dilute channel can be turned on or off.

An ion permeable membrane includes ion conductor particles and a fiber base material, in which each of the ion conductor particles has a first portion embedded inside the fiber base material, and a second portion exposed on outside surfaces of the fiber base material, and the second portions are continuous between an upper surface and a lower surface in a thickness direction of the ion permeable membrane.

An electrochemical sensor with an ion-selective membrane that comprises a crosslinked alkyl methacrylate homopolymer or copolymer of two or more alkyl methacrylates 1. with a covalently attached electrically neutral or electrically charged ionophore that is selective for a target cation or anion, or 2. with a covalently attached cationic or anionic ionic site, or 3. with a covalently attached cationic or anionic ionic site and covalently attached electrically neutral or electrically charged ionophore