Abstract: Membranes comprising chitosan and re-acetylated chitosan for use in desalination and Salinity Gradient Power Vapor Pressure Desalination (SGP-VPD). A thin film composite (TFC) membrane comprising a minimally hydrophilic re-acetylated chitosan outer layer and a substantially hydrophilic chitosan porous support layer for performing desalination and a multi-layer membrane comprising substantially hydrophobic re-acetylated chitosan inner and outer layers surrounding a substantially hydrophilic chitosan porous support layer for performing SGP-VPD.

Abstract: A membrane comprising chitosan for use in Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination, or for extracting economically valuable materials from seawater or another highly saline industrial fluid using a thin film composite (TFC) membrane porous support layer comprising chitosan, or for reducing the saline content of one or more industrial or mining fluids for hazardous waste disposal in operations such as desalinization or hydraulic fracturing fracking using a thin film composite (TFC) membrane porous support layer comprising chitosan. The chitosan-based membrane may also be used as part of a dialytic membrane electrode assembly for use in the generation and storing of low across membrane voltages and currents across a salinity concentration gradient.

Abstract: A zinc wire coil is wound as a helix on a conducting support such as a copper or brass wire or rod, and the unit amalgamated in a mercuric salt solution to form a rigid anode element; in a cell such anode maintains substantially uniform spacing between anode and cathode to maintain substantially uniform current flow distribution.Using a multi-strand cable, or multiple layers of zinc wires for the helix permits predetermined percentage ratio of porosity to volume of anode.