DE(SOLV)®
Revolutionizing Large-Scale Industrial Chemical Separations
DE(SOLV)® is a transformative, energy-efficient desolvation process to oil industry. It is a pressure-driven process designed to remove up to 90% of solvents from oils without the use of heat, not only leading to considerable reduction in energy consumption, but also making the process safer, particularly when dealing with flammable solvents.
This technology provides a transformative solution for large-scale solvent plants including vegetable oil refineries, waste oil processors, solvent processors, and other producers seeking to improve sustainability and efficiency.
Our innovative membranes can be integrated into the existing processes in a hybrid installation, working alongside the existing distillation unit. In this setup, the membrane unit removes the bulk of the solvent (up to 90%) without heat, leaving the distillation unit to handle the remainder.
This hybrid process results in significantly reduced steam and thermal load without compromising product quality. By leveraging advanced Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) membrane technology, oil refineries and solvent plants can improve overall process efficiency and reduce costs, contributing to more environmentally friendly and more economically sustainable operations.
Example Application: DE(SOLV)® in the Vegetable Oil Industry
Vegetable oil production traditionally relies on energy-intensive processes, primarily thermal extraction and chemical refining, consuming large amounts of fossil fuels. These processes are not only costly but also environmentally unfriendly. The industry emits on average 3.81 kg of CO2e per kg of refined oil, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This high carbon footprint stems from the use of steam and heat in oil extraction, and the reliance on solvents like hexane in refining operations, which require substantial energy to recover and recycle. Solvent recovery via distillation alone constitutes at least 50% of the total energy consumption.
As global demand for vegetable oil increases, the economic and environmental challenges intensify. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates the vegetable oil demand to increase by 20% by 2030!
Maximum Efficiency,
Minimum Footprint!
At the core of DE(SOLV)® is GreenMem®, our proprietary, chemical-resistant membranes with nano-sized pores for molecular-level chemical separation. Made from high-performance polymeric materials, these nanofiltration membranes are chemically modified to boost resistance, ensuring stability in harsh organic solvents, acids, alkalis, and heat.
Your industry, transformed.
A client success story
As a major energy user responsible for 32 million tonnes of CO2 annually, the vegetable oil industry needs a revolution. Our solution is tailored for vegetable oil producers seeking to reduce their environmental footprint and costs.
In working with some of the leading producers of vegetable oil, SepPure GreenMem® membrane modules were used to separate the palm oil/acetone miscella. By replacing distillation units with our membranes, they reduced operating costs by 70% and insulated their business from fuel price hikes. Expenses only grew 7% despite 30% diesel inflation. SepPure Technologies enabled dramatic sustainability and efficiency gains.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) ABOUT DE(SOLV)®
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Unlike the conventional methods like distillation, evaporation, and condensation, DE(SOLV)® employs a pressure-driven method, thereby reducing the energy required for industrial chemical separation processes.
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Yes, homogenous catalysts are typically large molecules and can be well retained by our Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) membrane technology. This allows these molecules to be recovered and re-used. This also makes the process more economically efficient, as employing conventional separation methods to separate homogenous catalysts are costly.
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Yes, DE(SOLV)® enables upgrading of lube oil by removing impurities like consumed additives and thermally degraded products. Our OSN technology can be applied in the re-refining process to effectively recover base oil components from the complex mixture, thereby improving the quality of the lube oil.
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DE(SOLV)® reduces the energy consumption of this process, as lube oil dewaxing involves evaporation and condensation of large volumes of solvents, making the process significantly energy intensive.
Discover how DE(SOLV)® boosts productivity while reducing your environmental impact!
Contact Us today to find out how you can seamlessly integrate DE(SOLV)® into your system and enhance your industrial processes.