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Pharmaceutical concentration using organic solvent forward osmosis for solvent recovery
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
Nature Communications
|April 14, 2018
Summary
Organic Solvent Forward Osmosis (OSFO) effectively recovers organic solvents with over 98% rejection. This process minimizes hazardous draw solute risks, offering a promising, pressure-free solvent recovery solution.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Engineering
- Separation Processes
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Organic solvents are crucial in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Efficient solvent recovery is essential for economic viability and environmental sustainability.
- Current recovery methods can be energy-intensive or inefficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate and evaluate the Organic Solvent Forward Osmosis (OSFO) process for effective organic solvent recovery.
- To assess OSFO performance across various solvents and draw solutes.
- To determine the feasibility of OSFO for concentrating active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) alongside solvent recovery.
Main Methods:
- OSFO experiments were conducted using diverse organic solvents as feed solutions.
- Various draw solutes were employed to facilitate the forward osmosis process.
- Solvent rejection rates and reverse solute flux were meticulously measured.
Main Results:
- OSFO achieved over 98% rejection for organic solvents from feed solutions up to 20 wt% concentration.
- All tested systems demonstrated a low reverse solute flux to solvent flux ratio.
- The use of non-hazardous draw solutes, like citric acid, was successfully demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- OSFO is a highly effective technology for organic solvent recovery.
- The process offers high solvent rejection and minimal draw solute loss.
- OSFO presents a promising, pressure-independent alternative for sustainable solvent management in industries.
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