Directional amine-based solvent extraction for simultaneous enhanced water recovery, salt separation and effective descaling from hypersaline brines

Abstract

● Simultaneous water recovery and salt separation from hypersaline brine is feasible.

● Water recovery shows an obvious boundary at saline concentration of 115 g/L.

● Cl^– removal is exponentially correlated with specific water extraction efficiency.

● Radical precipitation of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ leads to more amine residues in raffinate.

The feasibility of simultaneous water recovery, salt separation and effective descaling of hypersaline brine was investigated by diisopropylamine (DIPA)-based directional solvent extraction (DSE), using diluted/concentrated seawater with initial saline concentration range of 12–237 g/L at extraction temperatures of 5 and 15 °C, respectively. The water recovery shows an obvious boundary at saline concentration of 115 g/L under dual effect of specific water extraction efficiency and extraction cycles. High Cl^– ion concentration in product water is in sharp contrast to the nearly complete removal of SO₄^2– and hardness ions, indicating that DIPA-based DSE process indeed achieved efficient separation and purification of Cl^– ion from hypersaline brines. Especially, the radical precipitation of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions in form of Mg(OH)₂ and CaCO₃ demonstrates effective descaling potential, although it leads to more DIPA residues in dewatered raffinate than product water. Moreover, an exponential correlation between the Cl^– removal efficiency and specific water extraction efficiency further reveals the intrinsic relationship of water extraction process and transfer of Cl^– ion to the product water. Overall, the study provides a novel approach for integrating the water recovery and separation of Cl^– ion from ultra-high-salinity brines with radical precipitation of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions in one step.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Hypersaline brines / Directional solvent extraction / Salt separation / Ca ²⁺ and Mg ²⁺ descaling

References

[1] Bajpayee A , Luo T , Muto A , Chen G . (2011). Very low temperature membrane-free desalination by directional solvent extraction. Energy & Environmental Science, 4(5): 1672–1675

[2] Barbosa G D , Bara J E , Weinman S T , Turner C H . (2022). Molecular aspects of temperature swing solvent extraction for brine desalination using imidazole-based solvents. Chemical Engineering Science, 247: 116866

[3] Barbosa G D , Liu X , Bara J E , Weinman S T , Turner C H . (2021). High-salinity brine desalination with amine-based temperature swing solvent extraction: a molecular dynamics study. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 341: 117359

[4] Boo C , Billinge I H , Chen X , Shah K M , Yip N Y . (2020). Zero liquid discharge of ultrahigh salinity brines with temperature swing solvent extraction. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(14): 9124–9131

[5] Boo C , Qi H , Billinge I H , Shah K M , Fan H , Yip N Y . (2021). Thermomorphic hydrophilicity base-induced precipitation for effective descaling of hypersaline brines. ACS ES&T Engineering, 1(9): 1351–1359

[6] Boo C , Winton R K , Conway K M , Yip N Y . (2019). Membrane-less and non-evaporative desalination of hypersaline brines by temperature swing solvent extraction. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 6(6): 359–364

[7] Chen F , Zhang Z , Zeng F , Yang Y , Li X . (2021). Pilot-scale treatment of hypersaline coal chemical wastewater with zero liquid discharge. Desalination, 518: 115303

[8] Choi O K , Seo J H , Kim G S , Hendren Z , Kim G D , Kim D , Lee J W . (2021). Non-membrane solvent extraction desalination (SED) technology using solubility-switchable amine. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 403: 123636

[9] Deepti U , Bora M K . (2021). Promising integrated technique for the treatment of highly saline nanofiltration rejected stream of steel industry. Journal of Environmental Management, 300: 113781

[10] Deepti A , Sinha P , Biswas S , Sarkar U , Bora M K . (2020). Separation of chloride and sulphate ions from nanofiltration rejected wastewater of steel industry. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 33: 101108

[11] Deshmukh A , Foo Z H , Stetson C , Lee H , Orme C J , Wilson A D , Lienhard J H . (2022). Thermodynamics of solvent-driven water extraction from hypersaline brines using dimethyl ether. Chemical Engineering Journal, 434: 134391

[12] Jarin M , Dou Z , Gao H , Chen Y , Xie X . (2023). Salinity exchange between seawater/brackish water and domestic wastewater through electrodialysis for potable water. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 17(2): 16

[13] Jia X , Li K , Wang B , Zhao Z , Hou D , Wang J . (2022). Membrane cleaning in membrane distillation of reverse osmosis concentrate generated in landfill leachate treatment. Water Science and Technology, 85(1): 244–256

[14] Kim M , Choi O K , Cho Y , Lee J W , Cho A E . (2020). Elucidation of the desalination mechanism of solvent extraction method through molecular modeling studies. Desalination, 496: 114704

[15] Lin S . (2020). Energy efficiency of desalination: Fundamental insights from intuitive interpretation. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(1): 76–84

[16] Liu C , Wang W , Yang B , Xiao K , Zhao H . (2021). Separation, anti-fouling, and chlorine resistance of the polyamide reverse osmosis membrane: from mechanisms to mitigation strategies. Water Research, 195: 116976

[17] Luo T , Bajpayee A , Chen G . (2011). Directional solvent for membrane-free water desalination: a molecular level study. Journal of Applied Physics, 110(5): 054905

[18] Ma H , Wang H , Tian C , Wang L , Yuan W , Qi Y , Ma H , Chao Z , Lv W . (2021). An integrated membrane- and thermal-based system for coal chemical wastewater treatment with near-zero liquid discharge. Journal of Cleaner Production, 291: 125842

[19] Ogunbiyi O , Saththasivam J , Al-Masri D , Manawi Y , Lawler J , Zhang X , Liu Z . (2021). Sustainable brine management from the perspectives of water, energy and mineral recovery: a comprehensive review. Desalination, 513: 115055

[20] Panagopoulos A . (2021). Energetic, economic and environmental assessment of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) brackish water and seawater desalination systems. Energy Conversion and Management, 235: 113957

[21] Peerless J S , Gulyuk A V , Milliken N J , Kim G D , Reid E , Lee J W , Kim D , Hendren Z , Choi Y C , Gao Y L . (2023). Role of nanoscale morphology on the efficiency of solvent-based desalination method. ACS ES&T Water, 3(2): 400–409

[22] Rish D , Luo S , Kurtz B , Luo T . (2014). Exceptional ion rejection ability of directional solvent for non-membrane desalination. Applied Physics Letters, 104(2): 024102

[23] Sanap D B , Kadam K D , Narayan M , Kasthurirangan S , Nemade P R , Dalvi V H . (2015). Analysis of saline water desalination by directed solvent extraction using octanoic acid. Desalination, 357: 150–162

[24] Sappidi P , Barbosa G , Rabideau B D , Weinman S T , Turner C H . (2021). Molecular simulation of high-salinity brines in contact with diisopropylamine and tripropylamine solvents. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 60(21): 7917–7925

[25] Shah K M , Dach E , Winton R , Fan H , Yip N Y . (2023). Phase equilibria insights into amine-water-NaCl interactions in liquid-liquid biphasic systems for temperature swing solvent extraction desalination. Desalination, 548: 116259

[26] Shi J , Huang W , Han H , Xu C . (2020). Review on treatment technology of salt wastewater in coal chemical industry of China. Desalination, 493: 114640

[27] Shi Y T , Meng X , Yao L , Tian M . (2021). A full-scale study of nanofiltration: separation and recovery of NaCl and Na₂SO₄ from coal chemical industry wastewater. Desalination, 517: 115239

[28] Song W , Lee L Y , Liu E , Shi X , Ong S L , Ng H Y . (2020). Spatial variation of fouling behavior in high recovery nanofiltration for industrial reverse osmosis brine treatment towards zero liquid discharge. Journal of Membrane Science, 609: 118185

[29] Tian X , Yu H , Yang J , Zhang X , Zhao M , Yang Y , Sun W , Wei Y , Zhang Y , Wang J . . (2022). Preparation of reverse osmosis membrane with high permselectivity and anti-biofouling properties for desalination. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 16(7): 89

[30] Tong T , Elimelech M . (2016). The global rise of zero liquid discharge for wastewater management: drivers, technologies, and future directions. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(13): 6846–6855

[31] Xiong R , Wei C . (2017). Current status and technology trends of zero liquid discharge at coal chemical industry in China. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 19: 346–351

[32] Xue W , Zaw M , An X , Hu Y , Tabucanon A S . (2020). Sea salt bittern-driven forward osmosis for nutrient recovery from black water: a dual waste-to-resource innovation via the osmotic membrane process. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 14(2): 32

[33] Zhang H , Lai Y , Yang X , Li C , Dong Y . (2022). Non-evaporative solvent extraction technology applied to water and heat recovery from low-temperature flue gas: parametric analysis and feasibility evaluation. Energy, 244: 123062

[34] Zhang X , Zhao W , Zhang Y , Jegatheesan V . (2021). A review of resource recovery from seawater desalination brine. Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, 20(2): 333–361

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press 2024