Patent ID: 8753514

Claim:
A method for extracting a solvent from a solution using forward osmosis, the method comprising the steps of: providing a semi-permeable membrane; introducing a first solution to a first surface of the semi-permeable membrane; introducing a second solution to a second surface of the semi-permeable membrane, wherein the second solution comprises at least two species of a solute, a soluble species of the solute and a less-soluble species of the solute, where the ratio of the soluble species of the solute to the less-soluble species of the solute is greater than 1:1 at equilibrium so as to generate an increased osmotic pressure on the first solution; drawing a solvent from the first solution through the semi-permeable membrane and into the second solution, thereby creating a solvent-enriched second solution; and removing at least one of the at least two species of the solute from the solvent-enriched second solution, wherein the step of removing at least one of the at least two species of the solute comprises at least one of precipitation or filtration.