New Jersey Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology

Other

Applied Membrane Technology, Inc.

Hoechst Celanese Corporation

Kamalesh K Sirkar

Dhananjay Singh

Robert Pfeffer

Dimitrios Zarkadas

Thomas J McEvoy

Robert Gang Luo

Dengyue Chen

Rahul Basu

Stephanie Farrell

Lin Li

Jyh-Yao Raphael Li

Amitava Sengupta

Costas George Gogos

Bradley W Reed

Marino Xanthos

Xiao-Ping Dai

Suphan Kovenklioglu

Sudipto Majumdar

Chaiya Chandavasu

Hua Chen

Prithish Basak

A Sarma Kovvali

Baoan Li

Qiuxi Fan

Meredith Feins

Rajesh K Shukla

Yanke Xu

Dali Yang

John Chau

Li Yang

Asim Kumar Guha

Zhifa Yang

The present invention is directed to a method of producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The method includes subjecting a reaction mixture with an API precursor to solvent extraction to produce a reactant stream with the API precursor. The method includes concentrating the API precursor in the reactant stream using at least one membrane. The method includes carrying out a reaction in a membrane reactor. The method includes separating the API precursor from the reaction stream using a separator. The method includes crystallizing the API precursor using a crystallizer to produce APIs.

Continuous production of active pharmaceutical ingredients

Exemplary embodiments in desalination by direct contact membrane distillation present a cylindrical cross-flow module containing high-flux composite hydrophobic hollow fiber membranes. The present embodiments are directed to a model that has been developed to describe the observed water production rates of such devices in multiple brine feed introduction configurations. The model describes the observed water vapor production rates for different feed brine temperatures at various feed brine flow rates. The model flux predictions have been explored over a range of hollow fiber lengths to compare the present results with those obtained earlier from rectangular modules which had significantly shorter hollow fibers.

Hollow fiber membrane module for direct contact membrane distillation-based desalination

Reverse osmosis (RO) separation of organic solvent mixtures where solvent molecular weights &#x3c;100 Da is challenging especially for powerful solvents that swell most uncrosslinked polymers. To avoid polymer swelling by solvents, a particular perfluoropolymer, perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole copolymerized with tetrafluoroethylene, (PDD-TFE), designated CMS-7, was studied. This amorphous glassy extremely hydrophobic copolymer has a very high free volume (FV) fraction. The maximum radial dimension of FV regions is less than &#x2dc;0.65 nm allowing only single solvent molecule permeation. Further, interactions between polarity, dimensions and shapes of solvent molecules with those of polymer FV elements can lead to extraordinarily selective permeation. Permeation behaviors of other solvent mixtures, toluene-n-heptane, NMP-tetrahydrofuran, methanol-water, ethanol-water as well as individual phases of the immiscible mixture of NMP and the nonpolar solvent n-heptane were also studied.

Separation of organic solvent mixtures

The present disclosure provides improved systems, assemblies and methods to remove and recover COfrom emissions. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved membrane contactors configured to remove COfrom flue gas by temperature swing absorption. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides a novel hollow fiber membrane contactor that integrates absorption and stripping using a nonvolatile reactive absorbent (e.g., 80% polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation 0, and 20% of an ionic liquid (IL)). Equilibrium COabsorption in the nonvolatile viscous mixed absorbent is as high as 6.37 mmolCO/g absorbent in the presence of moisture at 50&#xb0; C. A novel membrane contactor is provided for COabsorption and stripping via a process identified as temperature swing membrane absorption (TSMAB). The contactor integrates non-dispersive gas absorption and hot water-based COstripping in one device/assembly containing two sets of commingled hollow fibers.

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Using porous hollow fiber membranes, systems/methods for continuously synthesizing polymer-coated particles by anti-solvent crystallization are provided. The disclosed systems/methods provide for synthesis of polymer-coated drug particles/crystals from solutions of the polymer and the drug particles in suspension by exposing the solution to an anti-solvent through a porous hollow fiber device. A feed solution of a coating polymer with suspended drug particles can be exposed to an anti-solvent through hollow fiber pores, thereby causing the polymer to precipitate on and coat the drug particles. In addition, a feed solution of a coating polymer with drug in solution can be exposed to an anti-solvent through hollow fiber pores, thereby causing the drug to crystallize from the solution and the polymer to precipitate/coat the drug. Results indicate that a uniformly coated, free-flowing product may be developed in this advantageous porous hollow fiber anti-solvent crystallization method. The coated drug particles can be used for controlled release of the drug, and the molecule and the crystal structure are not affected by the process.

Porous hollow fiber anti-solvent crystallization-based continuous method of polymer coating on submicron and nanoparticles

An oil circulation system and method for continuously purifying engine oil including an engine operably connected to an oil reservoir, wherein at least one stream of oil is conveyed from the oil reservoir to the engine via a conduit, and circulated through the engine and conduit via engine operating pressure and/or one or more pumps, and at least one membrane unit positioned in a path of the oil stream such that oil containing dissolved/emulsified droplets of water is fed continuously through the membrane unit. A cross flow hollow fiber module adapted to be positioned in a system for continuously purifying engine oil, the hollow fiber module having a central feed distributor tube, hollow fiber membranes positioned around the central feed distributor tube, end caps with ports for receiving and emitting a flow of sweep air, and optionally a shell casing, wherein the central feed distributor tube includes openings sized and positioned to allow oil to flowing into the feed distributor tube to flow out radially.

System and method for continuous removal of water from oil via membrane separation

The present disclosure relates to the field of polymer coating. The present disclosure provides improved systems and methods for continuous polymer coating of particles (e.g., nanoparticles). The present disclosure provides for a solid hollow fiber cooling crystallization (SHFCC) technique to continuously coat the nanoparticles with polymer. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure embraces continuous coating of particles from about 1 nm to about 10 microns. A polymer solution containing a suspension of submicron particles flows in the lumen of a solid polymeric hollow fiber, and controlled cooling of the polymer solution allows for polymer nucleation on the surface of the particles, and the precipitated polymer forms a thin film around the particles (the thickness of which can be varied depending on the operating conditions). The systems, methods and assemblies of the present disclosure are easily adaptable for coating nano-sized drug particles as well.

System and method for continuous polymer coating of particles

Liquid membrane systems are provided for use in pervaporation techniques that achieves high selectivity, ensure stability and prevent contamination of the fermentation broth. Tri-n-octylamine (TOA), tri-laurlyamine or tri-decylamine as a liquid membrane is immobilized in the pores of a hydrophobic hollow fiber substrate having a nanoporous hydrophobic coating on the broth side. The liquid membrane in the coated hollow fibers demonstrate high selectivity and reasonable mass fluxes of solvents in pervaporation. The mass fluxes were substantially increased with the same selectivity of solvents when an ultrathin liquid membrane was used. The addition of butanol into the feed solution increases membrane selectivity.

Pervaporation membranes highly selective for volatile solvents present in fermentation broths

DCMD and VMD systems and methods for use in desalination applications are provided. The DCMD and VMD systems employ coated porous hydrophobic hollow fiber membranes. The coatings advantageously function to essentially eliminate pore wetting of the membrane, while permitting substantially unimpeded water vapor permeance through the fiber walls. The DCMD and VMD membranes are characterized by larger fiber bore diameters and wall thicknesses. The membranes substantially reduce the loss of brine sensible heat, e.g., heat loss via conductive heat flux through the membrane wall and the vapor space and, in exemplary embodiments, the brine-side heat transfer coefficient is dramatically enhanced by horizontal/vertical cross flow of brine over the outside surface of the coated fibers. Superior water vapor fluxes are achieved with the systems and methods.

Desalination devices and systems using porous hydrophobic hollow fibers and hydrophobic porous coatings

An iontophoretic transdermal drug delivery system that utilizes a porous conductive polyaniline membrane as one of two electrodes, with both electrodes in contact with an aqueous solution of the ingredient in ionic and nonionic form, and the membrane additionally in contact with the skin surface of the mammal. Upon providing the appropriate direct current flow by voltage generating means through the electrodes and solution, the ingredient is caused to pass through the porous membrane and be released in ionic form through the skin surface of the mammal.

Iontophoretic transdermal drug delivery system based on conductive polyaniline membrane

Antisolvent crystallization systems and methods are provided that employ porous hollow fiber membranes. The porous hollow fiber membrane includes a plurality of porous hollow fibers positioned within a shell, each porous hollow fiber defining a lumen side and shell side. A crystallizing solution is introduced to one side of the hollow fibers and an antisolvent is introduced to the other side of the fibers, in either cocurrent or countercurrent flow. One of the antisolvent and the crystallizing solution permeates in part through the porous hollow fiber membrane to the other side and crystals are formed thereby. Permeation of the antisolvent or the crystallizing solution establishes advantageous radial mixing that facilitates crystal formation of a desired size distribution. Downstream mixing, e.g., a completely stirred tank or a static mixer, may be employed to further improve crystallization operations.

Antisolvent crystallization in porous hollow fiber devices and methods of use thereof

A solid hollow fiber cooling crystallizer and method for crystallizing aqueous and organic solutions are provided. The solid hollow fiber crystallizer (SHFC) for carrying out cooling crystallization of inorganic/organic microsolutes/macrosolutes from solution generally includes a bundle of non-porous hollow fibers mounted within a shell where a feed solution for crystallization flows through the lumen side of the hollow fibers and a cooling solution flows through the shell side to form nuclei and subsequently crystals in the feed solution at a temperature below its saturation temperature. The solid hollow fiber crystallizer may be combined with a mixing device, such as a completely stirred tank or static mixer, to further effectuate crystallization. The solid hollow fiber crystallizer may be operated in a number of modes including feed recycle mode, once through mode, SHFC-in-line static mixer in series mode, and SHFC-CST in series mode. The advantages of solid hollow fiber cooling crystallization in comparison to conventional crystallization processes include improved temperature control between crystallizing solution and coolant, higher nucleation rates, improved control of crystal size and crystal size distribution, smaller crystal size, capability for decoupling crystal nucleation and crystal growth, decreased fouling of process equipment, and improved process scale-up.

Solid hollow fiber cooling crystallization systems and methods

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley Heights, NJ, United States of America

Kamalesh K Sirkar