Patent ID: 6106721
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: B01D,B01J,G01N

Abstract:
A method for producing a solution comprising a first solvent and a solute, wherein the concentration of said solute in said solution is greater than the concentration of the solute in a starting solution comprising a second solvent and the solute, the method comprising the steps of:(a) contacting a volume of the starting solution with a water-wettable polymer formed by copolymerizing at least one hydrophobic monomer and at least one hydrophilic monomer, said polymer comprising from about 12 mole percent to about 30 mole percent of the hydrophilic monomer, whereby the solute is adsorbed onto the polymer; and(b) washing the polymer with a volume of the first solvent, said volume of the first solvent being less than the volume of the starting solution in step (a), thereby desorbing the solute from the polymer and forming a solution of the solute in the first solvent wherein the concentration of the solute in said solution is greater than the concentration of the solute in the starting solution.