Patents by Inventor Ngai Yin Yip

Ngai Yin Yip has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240325984
    Abstract: Cation exchange membranes are prepared via facile methods to control sulfonation of polystyrene repeat units. An amount of sulfuric acid is reacted with an acetic anhydride to form an amount of acetyl sulfate. The acetyl sulfate is then added to a known concentration of polystyrene units in boiling dichloromethane (DCM) to form sulfonated polystyrene random copolymers, including a random distribution of sulfonated polystyrene repeats and unsulfonated polystyrene repeats, with sulfonation levels between about 0.07 and about 0.225. The sulfonation level can be controlled by adjusting reaction times, reaction temperatures, and sulfuric acid loading in the reaction mediums. These membranes, neutralized via alkali metals, exhibit high charge densities and low hydration degrees, and maintain high permselectivity under various high solution concentrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Ngai Yin YIP, Sanat K. KUMAR, Yuxuan HUANG, Marshall TEKELL
  • Publication number: 20230242418
    Abstract: Systems and methods of performing temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) descaling of produced water and desalination of high-salinity brines, e.g., those having a total dissolved solids (TDS) greater than about 250,000 ppm are capable of producing descaled water products including less than about 5% weight percent TDS. The brine/produced water feedstreams and combined with a solvent having temperature-dependent water solubility at a temperature TL. Water is extracted from the feedstream into the solvent to form a water-in-solvent extract component and a raffinate component, from which a solid phase can be precipitated as more water is portioned in the solvent and basicity increases. Heating of the water-in-solvent extract component reduces the solubility of the water therein, producing a biphasic mixture of dewatered solvent and descaled water that can be separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Ngai Yin YIP, Chanhee BOO, Kinnari SHAH, Ian BILLINGE, Robert WINTON, Eliza DACH
  • Publication number: 20230174391
    Abstract: Systems and methods of performing temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) descaling of produced water and desalination of high-salinity brines, e.g., those having a total dissolved solids (TDS) greater than about 250,000 ppm are capable of producing descaled water products including less than about 5% weight percent TDS. The brine/produced water feedstreams and combined with a solvent having temperature-dependent water solubility at a temperature TL. Water is extracted from the feedstream into the solvent to form a water-in-solvent extract component and a raffinate component, from which a solid phase can be precipitated as more water is portioned in the solvent and basicity increases. Heating of the water-in-solvent extract component reduces the solubility of the water therein, producing a biphasic mixture of dewatered solvent and descaled water that can be separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Ngai Yin YIP, Chanhee BOO, Kinnari SHAH, Ian BILLINGE, Robert WINTON, Eliza DACH
  • Publication number: 20220017385
    Abstract: Systems and methods of performing temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) descaling of produced water and desalination of high-salinity brines, e.g., those having a total dissolved solids (TDS) greater than about 250,000 ppm are capable of producing descaled water products including less than about 5% weight percent TDS. The brine/produced water feedstreams and combined with a solvent having temperature-dependent water solubility at a temperature TL. Water is extracted from the feedstream into the solvent to form a water-in-solvent extract component and a raffinate component, from which a solid phase can be precipitated as more water is portioned in the solvent and basicity increases. Heating of the water-in-solvent extract component reduces the solubility of the water therein, producing a biphasic mixture of dewatered solvent and descaled water that can be separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Ngai Yin YIP, Chanhee BOO, Kinnari SHAH, Ian BILLINGE, Robert Winton, Eliza DACH
  • Publication number: 20210309540
    Abstract: Systems and methods of performing temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) descaling of produced water and desalination of high-salinity brines, e.g., those having a total dissolved solids (TDS) greater than about 250,000 ppm are capable of producing descaled water products including less than about 5% weight percent TDS. The brine/produced water feedstreams and combined with a solvent having temperature-dependent water solubility at a temperature TL. Water is extracted from the feedstream into the solvent to form a water-in-solvent extract component and a raffinate component, from which a solid phase can be precipitated as more water is portioned in the solvent and basicity increases. Heating of the water-in-solvent extract component reduces the solubility of the water therein, producing a biphasic mixture of dewatered solvent and descaled water that can be separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Ngai Yin YIP, Chanhee BOO, Kinnari SHAH, Ian BILLINGE, Robert WINTON, Eliza DACH
  • Patent number: 9156006
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to customized thin-film composite membranes comprising: a porous support; a selective barrier; and one or more polymeric additives dispersed in the porous support in an amount from at least about 1% and about 50% by weight of the porous support. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of fabricating a porous support comprising the steps of: preparing a polymer solution comprising a polymer, a polymeric additive, and a first liquid; contacting a surface with the polymer solution; and evaporating the liquid. Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of the thin-film composite membranes disclosed herein in osmotically driven membrane processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Yale University
    Inventors: Ngai Yin Yip, William Anthony Phillip, Jessica Deborah Schiffman, Menachem Elimelech
  • Publication number: 20120318729
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to customized thin-film composite membranes comprising: a porous support; a selective barrier; and one or more polymeric additives dispersed in the porous support in an amount from at least about 1% and about 50% by weight of the porous support. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of fabricating a porous support comprising the steps of: preparing a polymer solution comprising a polymer, a polymeric additive, and a first liquid; contacting a surface with the polymer solution; and evaporating the liquid. Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of the thin-film composite membranes disclosed herein in osmotically driven membrane processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: Yale University Office of Cooperative Research
    Inventors: Ngai Yin Yip, William Anthony Phillip, Jessica Deborah Schiffman, Menachem Elimelech