Amine-based solvents for temperature swing solvent extraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026055011-A1
Application number	US-202519308072-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 22, 2025
Priority date	Aug 22, 2024
Publication date	Feb 26, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for desalinating high-salinity brines via temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) using an amine-based solvent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for desalinating high-salinity brines, the method comprising:
contacting a feed brine with an amine-based solvent under conditions effective for temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) to produce a substantially desalinated product, wherein the amine-based solvent comprises sec-butyl-isopropyl-amine and/or a glycerol-based amine solvent.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glycerol-based amine solvent is represented by Formula I, or a salt thereof:

wherein each R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkoxyalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkenyl;
with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is not hydrogen.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic Cl 1 - C 6 alkoxyalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkenyl;
with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is not hydrogen.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 3 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 3 alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 3 alkoxyalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkenyl;
with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is not hydrogen.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are different.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glycerol-based amine solvent is represented by Formula II, or a salt thereof:

wherein each R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkoxyalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic alkenyl;
with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 is not hydrogen.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkoxyalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkenyl;
with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 is not hydrogen.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 3 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 3 alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 3 alkoxyalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted linear, branch, or cyclic C 1 -C 6 alkenyl;
with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 is not hydrogen.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , and R 5 are the same.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amine-based solvent comprises more than one amine-based solvent.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditions effective for TSSE comprise:
contacting the feed brine with the amine-based solvent at a first temperature to form an extractant phase comprising water from the feed brine dissolved in the solvent and a raffinate; separating the extractant phase and the raffinate; heating or cooling the extractant phase to second temperature to thereby adjust the miscibility of the water in the amine-based solved to form the substantially desalinated water product and a solvent phase; and separating the substantially desalinated water product from the solvent phase.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising recycling the separated solvent phase for additional TSSE processes.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed brine has a total dissolved solids of 50,000 ppm or more.

15 . A system for desalinating high-salinity brines, the system comprising:
an extraction unit configured to receive a feed brine and an amine-based solvent and contact the feed brine and amine-based solvent under conditions effective for temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) to produce a substantially desalinated product, wherein the amine-based solvent comprises sec-butyl-isopropyl-amine and/or a glycerol-based amine solvent.

Assignees

• Univ Alabama

Inventors

• Weinman Steven Thomas
• Bara Jason E
• Turner Heath
• Barbosa Gabriel D

Classifications

• B01D11/0492

  Applications, solvents used · CPC title

• C02F1/26

  by extraction · CPC title

• C02F2103/08

  Seawater, e.g. for desalination · CPC title

• C02F2303/16

  Regeneration of sorbents, filters · CPC title

• C02F1/265 Primary

  Desalination · CPC title