Liquid crystallizer salting out solution

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for recovering water from a salt solution. The method can include mixing the salt solution with a salting out solution that includes at least one enolizable ketone and at least one alcohol. The salting out solution can absorb the water from the salt solution and the water can be released using a regenerant solution. A base solution can also be added to fully regenerate the salting out solution so that it can be reused.

1 . A method, comprising:
 mixing a salt solution and a salting out solution to form solid salt and a water-absorbed salting out solution, wherein the salting out solution comprises a ketone and an alcohol; and   mixing the water-absorbed salting out solution with a regenerant solution to release absorbed water from the water-absorbed salting out solution.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the regenerant solution comprises KCl or CaCl 2 . 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ketone has the chemical formula: R(C═O)R′, wherein R and R′ are independently selected from a C1-C7 alkyl or a C3-C7 monocyclic; R and R′ are selected from a C1-C7 alkyl and the other is selected from a C1-C7 alkyl; R and R′ together, with the carbonyl (C=0) form a 3-15 membered monocylic ketone or a 3-15 membered monocylic heterocyclic ketone; or R and R′ together with the carbonyl form an 8-15 membered aromatic system optionally including one or more heteroatoms selected from S, N, or O. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the ketone comprises methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ketone comprises methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol comprises a tertiary alcohol. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the tertiary alcohol comprises tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol comprises a branched alcohol. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the branched alcohol comprises t-butanol (TBA). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt solution comprises salt water and/or a brine solution. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein mixing the water-absorbed salting out solution with the regenerant solution regenerates the ketone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising regenerating the alcohol using a base solution. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the base solution comprises sodium hydroxide (NaOH). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising regenerating the alcohol using a base solution. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising recycling the regenerated ketone and alcohol to be used in the salting out solution mixed with the salt solution. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising desalinating the released absorbed water from the water-absorbed salting out solution to produce purified water. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein desalinating the released absorbed water from the water-absorbed salting out solution forms a recycled regenerant solution. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising recycling the recycled regenerant solution to be used in the regenerant solution mixed with the water-absorbed salting out solution. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising regenerating the base solution via electrolyzation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising recycling the regenerated base solution to be used in regenerating the alcohol.