Continuous fractional crystallization process

Claim 1

THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF A MULTICOMPONENT ORGANIC MIXTURE FROM WHICH CRYSTALS CONTAINING AT LEAST TWO COMPONENTS OF DIFFERENT MELTING POINTS SEPARATE UPON COOLING, WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A LIQUID ORGANIC MULTICOMPONENT FEED MIXTURE INTO A HORIZONTIALLY ELONGATED SEPARATION THE ENDS THEREOF; CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINING BY INDIRECT HEAT-EXCHANGE A TEMPERATURE TAINING BY INDIRECT HEAT-EXCHANGE A TEMPERATURE POINT OF THE HIGHEST MELTING COMPONENT OF SAID POINT OF THE HIGHEST MELTING COMPONENT OF SAID MIXTURE AND A TEMPERATURE AT THE OTHER END OF SAID ZONE AT LEAST AS LOW AS THE DOLIDIFICATION POINT OF MULTICOMPONENT CRYSTALS AND ABOVE THE SOLIDIFICATION POINT OF THE ENTIRE MIXTURE; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID LIQUID TOWARD THE LOW TEMPERATURE END SO AS TO FORM MULTICOMPONENT CRYSTALS; CONTINUOUSLY MECHANICALLY PASSING THE CRYSTALS THUS FORMED TOWARD THE HIGH TEMPERATURE END THEREBY GRADUALLY RISING THE TEMPERATURE END THEREBY FRADUALLY RISING THE TEMPERAPONENTS THEREFROM AND FINALLY COMPLETELY MELTING SAID CRYSTALS; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A PORTION OF THE MELTED HIGHER MELTING COMPONENT TOWARD SAID LOW TEMPERATURE END IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW TO SAID CRYSTALS AS A REFLUX; AND CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING LIQUID HIGHER MELTING SEPARATED COMPONENT FROM SAID HIGH TEMPERATURE END AND LIQUOR LEAN IN SAID HIGHER MELTING COMPONENT FROM SAID LOW TEMPERATURE END.