Novel Pharmaceutical Solvent - Water Separation System

描述(由申请人提供)：制药行业有许多回收高纯度溶剂的需求。在许多情况下，这些溶剂被水污染。虽然最简单和最低成本的分离方法是蒸馏，但不幸的是，在许多情况下，这些溶剂很难用水分离共沸物。例如乙醇-水、异丙醇水、丙酮-水和四氢呋喃-水。虽然夹带剂可以帮助打破共沸物，但对于高纯度制药应用中使用的溶剂来说，它们是不受欢迎的添加剂。因此，仍然需要确定简单、低成本的系统，以便将许多药物溶剂从水中分离出来。紧凑型膜系统(CMS)已经确定了使用新型膜材料的新型膜路线，这可能为这些有机溶剂-水系统的低成本分离提供一个独特的平台。在第一阶段，CMS将首先在药物溶剂-水系统上演示这种低成本分离的可行性，然后与一家小型制药服务公司合作在实际药物上进行演示。目的是展示CMS工艺具有广泛的实用性，成本至少比现有工艺低20%。CMS拥有强大的工业膜合作伙伴。这些合作伙伴将在第一阶段和随后的商业活动中发挥重要作用。我们将使用这些关系和我们(与这些行业合作伙伴)共同开发的现有商业产品进行初步测试。获得这些商业产品将增强我们在第一阶段和第二阶段取得成功的能力，并在该计划完成后不久实现产品/系统的商业安装。

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.