A method of removing contaminants from an aqueous material, the method comprising the steps of: providing an aqueous material comprising one or more non-particulate contaminants; and filtering the aqueous material to remove at least part of the one or more non-particulate contaminants to form a recovered portion of the aqueous material in which the amount of contaminant is reduced to an amount allowing re-use of the recovered portion of the aqueous material, wherein filtering the aqueous material includes passing the aqueous material across a partially permeable membrane at a temperature higher than 50° C.

In one or more embodiments, the present invention relates to a method for producing a polyhydroxybutyrate-based resin. The method includes (a) disrupting or solubilizing microbial cells containing a polyhydroxybutyrate-based resin, and (b) separating the polyhydroxybutyrate-based resin from a composition obtained by the process (a). The process (a) and the process (b) use water with a calcium ion concentration (14.5 mg/L or less. The water used in the process (a) and the process (b) is preferably obtained by subjecting wastewater that is discharged from the production process of the polyhydroxybutyrate-based resin to microbial anaerobic and aerobic treatments, subsequently pre-filtration by a membrane bioreactor process, and further filtration with a calcium ion removal membrane This method provides the polyhydroxybutyrate-based resin with good color tone and high thermal stability.

Methods and systems are provided for recovering an organic solvent from a waste sludge generated during formation of a polyarylene sulfide. Methods include combining the waste sludge with an anti-solvent to create a dispersion, which includes a solid phase that includes a substantial portion of the impurities of the polyarylene sulfide formation and a liquid phase that contains the anti-solvent and organic solvent employed during formation of the polyarylene sulfide. The liquid phase is separated from the solid phase and then subjected to a distillation process to separate the organic solvent from the anti-solvent. Methods can also include forming the polyarylene sulfide by a polymerization process and thereafter purifying a slurry of the polyarylene sulfide. A liquid washing product is formed as a result of the purification process, which can be subjected to a distillation process that forms an organic solvent-rich stream and the waste sludge.

A water treatment method including a removal step of removing a polymer (I) containing a polymerization unit (I) based on a monomer represented by the following general formula (I) from water containing the polymer (I):

CX.sup.1X.sup.3═CX.sup.2R(—CZ.sup.1Z.sup.2-A.sup.0).sub.m  (I)

wherein X.sup.1 and X.sup.3 are each independently F, Cl, H, or CF.sub.3; X.sup.2 is H, F, an alkyl group, or a fluorine-containing alkyl group; A.sup.0 is an anionic group; R is a linking group; Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are each independently H, F, an alkyl group, or a fluorine-containing alkyl group; and m is an integer of 1 or more. Further, the number average molecular weight of the polymer (I) to 0.3×10.sup.4 or more. Also disclosed is a composition including the polymer (I) containing the polymerization unit (I) based on a monomer represented by general formula (I), and where the composition has a content of the polymer (I) of 250 ppm or less.

A pretreatment method is provided for efficiently recovering a solvent from a raw material mixture comprising water, the solvent and a polymer dissolved and/or dispersed therein.

The pretreatment method includes a step of subjecting the raw material mixture 12 to an ultrafiltration treatment 16, 18 to filter out the polymer so as to obtain a filtrate 36 of which polymer content is reduced.

A process for removing water from an oxidative esterification reactor includes (a) conducting an oxidative esterification reaction in a reactor; (b) removing a crude product stream from the reactor; (c) passing a first portion of the crude product stream directly to a product recovery zone; (d) introducing a second portion of the crude product stream to a distillation column to generate a column overheads stream and a column bottoms stream; (e) passing at least a portion of the columns bottoms stream to the product recovery zone; and (f) recycling a recycle stream comprising at least a portion of the overheads stream to the reactor; wherein the recycle stream contains less than 1 weight percent (wt %) water based on the total weight of the recycle stream, wherein the weight ratio of the first portion to the second portion is at least 1:10, and wherein the amount of the recycle stream recycled to the reactor is such that the reactor contains less than or equal to 2.5 wt % water, based on the weight of the reactor contents.

Disclosed herein are materials and methods related to the removal of a polyfluorinated alkyl compound from water. The materials contain both fluorine and an ion, which materials can be used as a network to remove the polyfluorinated alkyl compound from water.

Method for treating production wastewater from the preparation of propylene oxide by co-oxidation. The wastewater includes a first portion of wastewater having a peroxide content of 2000 mg/L or more and a second portion of wastewater having a peroxide content of 50 mg/L or less.

A method of preparing a microorganisms-immobilized felt-based resin includes the following steps: providing a mixture of an acrylate monomer, an initiator, a solvent, and water; adding a felt to the mixture; initiating a polymerization reaction of the mixture to form a felt-based resin; and immobilizing microorganisms on the felt-based resin to form the microorganisms-immobilized felt-based resin.

A method and a system for comminuting and cleaning waste plastic are described. For this purpose, waste plastic is comminuted and pre-washed in a wet mill and then cleaned in a washing system. The resulting wastewater is subjected to mechanical filtration and flotation and then temporarily stored as circulating water. Based on this, some of the circulating water is returned to the wet mill as first process water and some of the circulating water is returned to the washing system as second process water. In this way, the first and second portions of the circulating water may be specifically adapted to the respective water requirements of the wet mill and the washing system as well as to the required water qualities, if necessary with selective post-cleaning of the second portion of the circulating water. As a result, the fresh water requirement for the process described may be minimized.