US5030356A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for recovering organic components from liquid streams
Assignee: Membrane Technology and Research Inc
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Filing: 1989-05-31
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Granted: 1991-07-09
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Expires: 2009-05-31
Abstract
Abstract A separation process for recovering organic components from liquid streams. The process is a combination of pervaporation and decantation. In cases where the liquid stream contains the organic to be separated in dissolved form, the pervaporation step is used to concentrate the organic to a point above the solubility limit, so that a two-phase permeate is formed and then decanted. In cases where the liquid stream is a two-phase mixture, the decantation step is performed first, to remove the organic product phase, and the residue from the decanter is then treated by pervaporation. The condensed permeate from the pervaporation unit is sufficiently concentrated in the organic component to be fed back to the decanter. The process can be tailored to produce only two streams: an essentially pure organic product stream suitable for reuse, and a residue stream for discharge or reuse.
Inventors
- 👤 Ingo Blume
- 👤 Richard W. Baker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:45
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D61/00; B01D61/36; B01D61/362; B01D17/00; B01D17/02; B01D17/0208; B01D17/08; B01D17/085
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A separation process, comprising: (a) performing a pervaporation step, said step comprising: (i) providing a membrane unit having a feed side and a permeate side; (ii) contacting said feed side with a feedstream containing a dissolved organic component and a second component; (iii) withdrawing from said permeate side a permeate vapor enriched in said organic component compared with said feedstream; (iv) withdrawing from said feed side a non-permeating portion of said feedstream; (b) condensing said permeate vapor to form a two-phase permeate liquid; (c) decanting said permeate liquid to separate said two phases into a first phase having a concentration of said dissolved organic component of at least 90% and a second phase comprising said second component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A separation process, comprising: (a) performing a pervaporation step, said step comprising: (i) providing a membrane unit having a feed side and a permeate side; (ii) contacting said feed side with a feedstream containing a dissolved organic component and a second component; (iii) withdrawing from said permeate side a permeate vapor enriched in said organic component compared with said feedstream; (iv) withdrawing from said feed side a non-permeating portion of said feedstream; (b) condensing said permeate vapor to form a two-phase permeate liquid; (c) decanting said permeate liquid to separate said two phases into a first phase having a concentration of said dissolved organic component of at least 90% and a second phase comprising said second component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 further comprising: (d) returning said second phase to the feed side of said membrane unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said condensing step is performed by a first condenser and a second condenser, said condensers being at different temperatures, said permeate liquid being the condensate of the lower-temperature condenser.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said condensing step is performed by a first condenser and a second condenser, said condensers being at different temperatures, said permeate liquid being the condensate of the higher-temperature condenser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said dissolved organic component has a solubility in water at 20° C. of less than 5%.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the concentration of said dissolved organic component in said non-permeating portion is less than 20%.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said dissolved organic component is chosen from the group consisting of benzenes, trichloroethanes, ethyl acetate, phenols, toluenes and cresols.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said dissolved organic component is benzene.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said dissolved organic component is 1,1,2-trichloroethane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said dissolved organic component is ethyl acetate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the membrane unit contains a silicone rubber permselective membrane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the membrane unit contains a polystyrene-butadiene copolymer permselective membrane.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-08 | 1995-01-07 | 1995-07-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-08 | 1999-01-07 | 1999-07-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-08 | 2003-01-07 | 2003-07-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |