Membrane cascade-based separation

1. A multistage cascade separation system using at each stage a membrane-containing separation step that preferentially rejects at least a first species relative to at least a second species while substantially permeating at least a third species which acts as a solvent, the system comprising at least three stages, wherein each stage comprises a housing defining a chamber, a selectively permeable membrane forming at least part of a barrier dividing the chamber into a first and a second compartment, the selectively permeable membrane capable of preferentially rejecting at least the first species relative to the second species while substantially permeating solvent such that the first compartment contains the retentate of the selectively permeable membrane and the second compartment contains the permeate of the selectively permeable membrane, and a feed for accepting a flow stream comprising the first, second and third species in communication with the first compartment, wherein:

(a) the first stage feed is capable of accepting a flow stream at least partially from a source outside of the system, and the first stage further comprises two conduits, the first conduit capable of carrying the retentate from the first compartment to the feed of the second stage, and the second conduit capable of carrying the permeate from the second compartment of the first stage to the feed of the third stage;

(b) the second stage further comprises a recirculation conduit capable of carrying the permeate from the second compartment of the second stage to the feed of the first stage, and a product conduit capable of removing retentate from the first compartment from the system; and

(c) the third stage further comprises a recirculation conduit capable of carrying the retentate from the first compartment to the feed of the first stage, and a product conduit capable of removing permeate from the second compartment from the system.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein each stage's selectively permeable membrane is independently selected from the group consisting of an ultrafiltration membrane, microfiltration membrane, reverse osmosis membrane, and nanofiltration membrane.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the selectively permeable membrane is of polymeric, ceramic, or metal construction.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the stages comprises a selectively permeable membrane that is an ultrafiltration or nanofiltration membrane.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein one or both of the second and third stages further comprises a solvent recovery unit that is in communication with the second compartment such that it is capable of recovering solvent from the permeate contained in the second compartment.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the solvent recovery unit is an ultrafilter membrane or an evaporator in communication with the second compartment of the stage of which it is a part.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the selectively permeable membranes is further capable of selectively rejecting a first group of solutes in addition to the first species.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein one or more of the selectively permeable membranes is further capable of preferentially permeating a second group of solutes in addition to the second species and the solvent.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the selectively permeable membranes is further capable of preferentially permeating additional solutes in addition to the second species and the solvent.

10. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a fluid flow stream within one or more of the recirculation conduits, wherein all of the fluid flow streams that contain the first and second species that are being fed to any individual stage, whether they are a recycled permeate flow stream from another stage or a recycled retentate flow stream from another stage or fresh feed flow stream, have substantially the same mass ratio of the first species to the second species within that individual flow stream.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the fluid flow stream further comprises a liquid micelle.

12. A multi-stage cascade separation system using at each stage a membrane-containing separation step that preferentially rejects at least a first species relative to at least a second species while substantially permeating at least a third species which acts as a solvent, the system comprising two stages, wherein each stage comprises a housing defining a chamber, a selectively permeable membrane forming at least part of a barrier dividing the chamber into a first and a second compartment, the selectively permeable membrane capable of preferentially rejecting at least the first species relative to the second species while substantially permeating solvent such that the first compartment contains the retentate of the selectively permeable membrane and the second compartment contains the permeate of the selectively permeable membrane, and a feed for accepting a flow stream comprising the first, second and third species in communication with the first compartment, wherein:

(a) the first stage feed is capable of accepting a flow stream at least partially from a source outside of the system, and the first stage further comprises a conduit capable of carrying the permeate from the second compartment of the first stage to the feed of the second stage, and a product conduit capable of removing retentate in the first compartment from the system; and

(b) the second stage further comprises a recirculation conduit capable of carrying the retentate from the first compartment to the feed of the first stage, and a product conduit capable of removing permeate from the second compartment from the system;

wherein one or both of the stages further comprises a solvent recovery unit that is in communication with the second compartment such that it is capable of recovering solvent from the permeate contained in the second compartment the recovery unit provided with an exit conduit for the removal solvent.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the solvent recovery unit is an ultrafilter membrane or an evaporator in communication with the second compartment of the stage of which it is a part.

14. A multi-stage cascade separation system using at each stage a membrane-containing separation step that preferentially rejects at least a first species relative to at least a second species while substantially permeating at least a third species which acts as a solvent, the system comprising two stages, wherein each stage comprises a housing defining a chamber, a selectively permeable membrane forming at least part of a barrier dividing the chamber into a first and a second compartment, the selectively permeable membrane capable of preferentially rejecting at least the first species relative to the second species while substantially permeating solvent such that the first compartment contains the retentate of the selectively permeable membrane and the second compartment contains the permeate of the selectively permeable membrane, and a feed for accepting a flow stream comprising the first, second and third species in communication with the first compartment, wherein:

(a) the first stage feed is capable of accepting a flow stream at least partially from a source outside of the system, and the first stage further comprises a conduit capable of carrying the retentate from the first compartment to the feed of the second stage, and a product conduit capable of removing permeate from the second compartment from the system; and

(b) the second stage further comprises a recirculation conduit capable of carrying the permeate from the second compartment to the feed of the first stage, and a product conduit capable of removing retentate in the first compartment from the system;

wherein one or both of the stages further comprises a solvent recovery unit that is in communication with the second compartment such that it is capable of recovering solvent from the permeate contained in the second compartment the recovery unit provided with an exit conduit for the removal solvent.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the solvent recovery unit is an ultrafilter membrane or an evaporator in communication with the second compartment of the stage of which it is a part.