Microchannel separator and methods for making and using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025073713-A1
Application number	US-202418821406-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2024
Priority date	Sep 1, 2023
Publication date	Mar 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to devices for the separation of mixtures of fluid phases. In some aspects of the disclosure, the separation device comprises an angled capillary cell. In other aspects, the separation device comprises a plurality of angled capillary cells operating in parallel. In some aspects of the disclosure, the separation device may be monolithically formed by an additive manufacturing process, such as three-dimensional printing. In some aspects of the disclosure, the separation device may function independently of gravitational direction, and without the use of filters.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A fluid phase separator, comprising:
one or more capillary cells, each capillary cell comprising a first plate, a corresponding second plate spaced apart from the first plate, and a gap between the first plate and the second plate; an inlet in fluid communication with a first end of the one or more capillary cells; a first outlet in fluid communication with a second end of the one or more capillary cells; and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second end of the one or more capillary cells, wherein each first plate is disposed at an angle to the corresponding second plate, such that a distance between each first plate and the corresponding second plate is greater at a first side of each capillary cell than at a second side of each capillary cell, and wherein the fluid phase separator is configured to (i) admit a first mixture of at least a first fluid and a second fluid at a first concentration, (ii) split the first mixture into a second mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid at a second concentration and a third mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid at a third concentration, and (iii) emit the second mixture and the third mixture from the first outlet and the second outlet respectively.

2 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more capillary cells are in communication with the inlet at the first end of the one or more capillary cells and also in communication with the first outlet and the second outlet at the second end of the one or more capillary cells.

3 . The fluid phase separator of claim 2 , comprising a plurality of the one or more capillary cells and wherein capillary cells of the plurality are arranged in a cylindrical configuration, spaced circumferentially apart from one another such that the first side of each capillary cell is positioned towards a periphery of the cylindrical configuration and the second side of each capillary cell is positioned towards a center of the cylindrical configuration.

4 . The fluid phase separator of claim 3 , further comprising a first collector positioned between the second end of the plurality of the one or more capillary cells and the first outlet.

5 . The fluid phase separator of claim 4 , further comprising a second collector disposed radially outwards from the first collector and positioned between the second end of the plurality of the one or more capillary cells and the second outlet.

6 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the first plate and/or a surface of the second plate is at least partially covered with a hydrophilic coating or a hydrophobic coating.

7 . The fluid phase separator of claim 6 , wherein the hydrophilic coating is applied in a gradient, such that a first lateral portion of the first plate and/or the second plate has a higher hydrophilicity than a second lateral portion of the first plate and/or the second plate, or the hydrophobic coating is applied in a gradient such that a first lateral portion of the first plate and/or the second plate has a higher hydrophobicity than a second lateral portion of the first plate and/or the second plate.

8 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first plate and the second plate at the first side of the capillary cell is a factor in a range of 1.2 to 50 greater than the distance between the first plate and the second plate at the second side of the capillary cell.

9 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first plate and the second plate at the first side of the capillary cell is a factor in a range of 1.8 to 50 greater than the distance between the first plate and the second plate at the second side of the capillary cell.

10 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first plate and the second plate at the first side of the capillary cell is 2 mm or less.

11 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein the first plate is disposed at an angle relative to the second plate that ranges from 0.5° to 20°.

12 . The fluid phase separator of claim 1 , wherein the fluid phase separator does not comprise a membrane or a filter.

13 . A method of separating two or more fluid phases, comprising:
introducing a mixture comprising two or more fluid phases to the fluid phase separator of claim 1 ; passing the mixture through a capillary cell of the fluid phase separator with a narrow side portion and a wide side portion and providing a variable angle of contact with a fluid; separating a first fluid phase of the two or more fluid phases having the highest contact angle with the capillary cell towards the wide side portion of the capillary cell by capillary motion; separating the fluid phases with lower contact angles with the capillary cell than the first fluid phase towards the narrow side portion of the capillary cell; collecting the first fluid phase; and collecting the remaining fluid phases separately from the first fluid phase.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first fluid is an aqueous phase and the second fluid is an organic phase.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first fluid comprises an extractant and a metallic element, and wherein the second fluid comprises a diluent.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixture is passed through the capillary cell without assistance of gravity.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixture comprises a lithium brine, and wherein the method further comprises contacting the brine with an extractant in a coiled flow inverter.

18 . An array of phase separators, comprising the fluid phase separator of claim 1 .

19 . An array of phase separators, comprising:
a first phase separator, comprising a flow plate, a cover plate, a first inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet, and an array of columns formed on the flow plate and disposed between the first inlet and the first outlet and the second outlet; and a second phase separator in fluid communication with the first phase separator, comprising a second inlet, a third outlet, a fourth outlet, and an array of capillary cells circumferentially arranged around a centerline axis and positioned between the second inlet and the third and fourth outlets; wherein each capillary cell of the second phase separator comprises a first interior surface, a second interior surface oriented at an angle relative to the first interior surface, and a gap positioned between the first interior surface and the second interior surface, wherein the first phase separator is configured to receive a first fluid mixture with a first composition and produce a first product stream with a second composition and a second product stream with a third composition, and wherein the second phase separator is configured to receive a second fluid mixture with a fourth composition and produce third product stream with a fifth composition and a fourth product stream with a sixth composition.

20 . The array of phase separators of claim 19 , wherein the first phase separator is positioned upstream of the second phase separator.

21 . The array of phase separators of claim 19 , wherein the second phase separator is positioned upstream of the first phase separator.

22 . A fluid phase separator comprising:
a cylindrical body having an external wall, an inlet end, an outlet end, a central column extending between the inlet end and the outlet end along a longitudinal axis, and an inte

Assignees

• Univ Oregon State
• Univ Pittsburgh Commonwealth Sys Higher Education

Inventors

• Jovanovic Goran
• Chukwunta Francis
• Coblyn Matthew
• Freiberg Lucas
• Touma Jad
• Baimoldina Aigerim
• Li Lei
• Song Yihan
• Wang Bingchen
• Yang Fan

Classifications

• B01D17/0202

  by ab- or adsorption · CPC title

• B01L2400/0487

  fluid pressure, pneumatics · CPC title

• B01D19/0042 Primary

  modifying the liquid flow (B01D19/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01L2300/161

  Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic · CPC title

• B01L2300/0838

  Capillaries · CPC title