A METHOD FOR PURIFICATION OF ORGANIC WATER-SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS FROM HYDROPHOBIC CONTAMINANTS

摘要

The subject of the invention is a method for purification of organic water-soluble compounds from hydrophobic contaminants based on the principle of nanosegregation of hydrophobic compounds (contaminants) in aqueous solutions of water-soluble compounds, followed by filtration using nanoporous filters that removes the contaminants. The purification method according to this invention is based on the findings that under certain physico-chemical conditions the contaminants neither remain molecularly dissolved nor form one macroscopic phase, but segregate into discrete nanoparticles. Given the relatively stable structure, mechanical strength and shape stability of these nanoparticles, it is possible by an appropriate choice of nanofiltration parameters to remove the nanoparticles, and thus to remove the contaminants.;The advantage of the given method is that the separation of contaminants into discrete, relatively stable, and solid (subsequently filterable) nanoparticles occurs after addition of water only, without addition of any chemicals (stabilizers, surfactants) which could present a secondary contamination and would also increase the costs of purification. The method according to this invention can reduce the content of the contaminants to levels below 0.00005% (below 0.5 ppm).