Continuous adsorption process

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS BY SELECTIVE ADSORPTION WHEREIN A LIQUID CHARGE IS TREATED WITH AN ADSORBENT TO SELECTIVELY ADSORB A MORE ADSORBABLE CHARGE COMPONENT AND THE ADSORBENT IS THEN TREATED WITH A LIQUID DESORBING AGENT TO DISPLACE SUCH COMPONENT AND RECONDITION THE ADSORBENT FOR RE-USE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE COUNTERCURRENTLY TREATING THE LIQUID CHARGE WITH THE ADSORBENT IN AN ADSORPTION ZONE, COUNTERCURRENTLY TREATING THE USED ADSORBENT WITH LIQUID DESORBING AGENT HAVING AN ADSORBABILTIY NOT GREATER THAN THAT OF THE MORE ADSORBABLE CHARGE COMPONENT IN A DESORPTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF THE ADSORBENT IN PARTIALLY RECONDITIONED FORM INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE DESORPTION ZONE AND INTRODUCING IT INTO THE ADSORPTION ZONE AT A LOCUS DOWNSTREAM, WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECION CHARGE FLOW, FROM THE LOCUS OF CHARGE INTRODUCTION, WITHDRAWING MORE FULLY RECONDITIONED ADSORBENT ADJACENT THE END OF THE DESORPTION ZONE REMOTE FROM ITS POINT OF INTRODUCTION THERETO AND INTRODUCING IT INTO LTHE ADSORPTION ZONE AT A STILL FARTHER DOWNSTREAM LOCUS WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF CHARGE FLOW, WITHDRAWING FROM THE ADSORPTION ZONE ADJACENT THE LOCUS OF INTRODUCTION OF PARTIALLY RECONDITIONED ADSORBENT A STREAM CONTAINING RAFFINATE PRODUCT OF RELATIVELY LOW PURITY AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE ADSORPTION ZONE ADJACENT THE LOCUS OF INTRODUCTION OF MORE FULLY RECONDITIONED ADSORBENT ASTREAM CONTAINING RAFFINATE PRODUCT OF RELATIVELY HIGH PURITY.