Novel Pharmaceutical Solvent - Water Separation System

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are numerous needs in the pharmaceutical industry to recover high purity solvents. In many cases these solvents are contaminated with water. While the simplest and lowest cost method of separation is distillation, unfortunately in many cases these solvents form difficult to separate azeotropes with water. Examples include ethanol-water, IPA-water, acetone-water and THF-water. While entrainers can help break azeotropes, they are undesirable additives for solvents used in high purity pharmaceutical applications. Therefore there continues to be an ongoing need for identifying simple low cost systems which can separate many pharmaceutical solvents from water. Compact Membrane Systems (CMS) has identified novel membrane routes using novel membrane materials which may provide a unique platform for low cost separation of these organic solvent-water systems. In Phase I CMS will demonstrate the feasibility of this low cost separation first on pharmaceutical solvent-water systems and then working with a small pharmaceutical services company to demonstrate on actual Pharmaceuticals. Objectives are to show CMS process has broad utility and costs at least 20% lower than existing processes. CMS has strong industrial membrane partners. These partners will be valuable in both Phase I and subsequent commercial activity. We will use these relationships and existing commercial products we have collectively developed (with these industrial partners) for our initial testing. Having access to these commercial products will enhance our ability to be successful in Phase I and II as well as get products/systems commercially installed shortly after the completion of this program.