Use of an adsorbent for the removal of liquid, gaseous and/or dissolved constituents from a process stream

1. A method for removing liquid, gaseous and/or dissolved constituents from an aqueous stream, the method comprising:

providing a single column structure comprising

a first bed of porous material, the porous material including pores having an average diameter of 0.01 μm to 50 μm and an extraction liquid immobilized within at least a portion of the pores; and

a second bed of adsorbent material, the adsorbent material being chosen from the group consisting of zeolites, carbonized sulphonated cross-linked polystyrene, and cross linked poly-styrene;

wherein the first and second beds are separate and adjacent in the column;

first directing the aqueous stream into the single column and into the first bed and extracting a first set of constituents from the aqueous stream;

thereafter directing the aqueous stream into the second bed and adsorbing a second set of constituents chosen from the group consisting of phenol, dichloromethane, and methyl tertiary-butyl ether by contacting the aqueous stream with adsorbent material; and

regenerating the porous material saturated with constituents extracted from the aqueous stream, wherein the regeneration is performed such that the constituents that emerge from the first bed of porous material do not come into contact with the second bed of adsorbent.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the extraction liquid is immobilized within at least 30 vol. % of the pores in the porous material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the extraction liquid is immobilized within at least 90 vol. % of the pores in the porous material.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the porous material is a polyolefin-based polymer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

extracting in the first set of constituents a plurality of soluble or insoluble constituents from the aqueous stream by contacting the aqueous stream with the first bed of porous material; and

reducing the concentration of the plurality of soluble or insoluble constituents by a factor of at least 100.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising reducing the concentration of the plurality of soluble or insoluble constituents by a factor of at least 10,000.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second set of constituents include at least a first soluble or insoluble constituent and a second soluble or insoluble constituent; the method further comprising

reducing the concentration of the at least first soluble or insoluble constituent to less than 5% of the concentration of the second soluble or insoluble constituent.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising reducing the concentration of the at least first soluble or insoluble constituent to less than 0.05% of the concentration of the second soluble or insoluble constituent.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first constituent is selected from the group of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first porous material is a fiber, film, granulate or powder having an average particle diameter of between approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 10 mm.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the pores in the first porous material have an average diameter of between approximately 0.2 μm to approximately 15 μm.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the volume ratio of the first porous material with extraction liquid immobilized therein to the adsorbent is between approximately 20:1 and approximately 1:20.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the volume ratio of the first porous material with extraction liquid immobilized therein to the adsorbent is between approximately 5:1 and approximately 1:5.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein regenerating the first bed of porous material occurs by contacting the first bed of porous material with steam, hot air, or a solution of acid or base.

15. A process for the removal of liquid gaseous and/or dissolved constituents from a process stream comprising:

extracting a first set of constituents in a process stream chosen from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein extracting comprises contacting the process stream with a first bed of porous material having pores with an average diameter of 0.01 μm to 50 μm and having an extraction liquid immobilized within the pores, wherein the extracting step causes the first set of constituents in the process stream to be extracted into the extraction liquid;

thereafter, adsorbing a second set of constituents in the process stream chosen from the group consisting of phenol, dichloromethane, and methyl tertiary-butyl ether, wherein adsorbing comprises contacting the process steam with a second bed of an adsorbent, said adsorbent being chosen from the group consisting of zeolites, carbonized sulphonated cross-linked polystyrene, and cross-linked polystyrene;

regenerating the porous material having the first set of constituents in the extraction liquid by removing the first set of constituents from the first bed such that the first set of constituents does not come into contact with the second bed; and

wherein the first and second beds are maintained separate and adjacent to one another in a single column.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the extraction liquid is immobilized within at least 30 vol. % of the pores in the porous material.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the regeneration method comprises steam.