Process and apparatus for vacuum distillation

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE DISTILLATION OF A DISTILLAND COMPRISING INTRODUCING LIQUID TO BE DISTILLED INTO A FIRST ZONE, PROVIDING A QUANTITY OF A DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP OF DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUIDS CONSISTING OF MERCURY AND DIBUTYL PHTHALATE IN A SECOND ZONE DISPOSED IN GENERAL BELOW SAID FIRST ZONE, EXTENDING SAID DISTILLAND INTO THE FORM OF A THIN FILM AND SUPPORTING SAID THIN FILM ON A PERFORATED SOLID SURFACE FORMING A COMMON BOUNDARY BETWEEN SAID ZONES, MAINTAINING A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST ZONE BETWEEN THE LIMITS OF 10-4 AND 1 MILLIMETER OF MERCURY, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID THIN FILM OF DISTILLAND AT A VALUE BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF THE DISTILLAND UNDER THE PRESSUREE MAINTAINED IN THE FIRST ZONE, MAINTAINING A CONDENSING SURFACE IN SAID FIRST ZONE AT A DISTANCE FROM SAID THIN FILM OF DISTILLAND GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE MEANS FREE PATH OF THE MOLECULES IN SAID THIN FILM OF DISTILLAND UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE MAINTAINED IN SAID FIRST ZONE, PASSING VAPOR OF SAID DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND ZONE THROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS IN A FIXED DIRECTION TOWARD SAID CONDENSING SURFACE AND ENTRAINING THEREWITH VAPORS OF SAID LIQUID, CONDENSING THE VAPORS OF DISTILLAND AND VAPORS OF SAID DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUID, REMOVING CONDENSATE FROM SAID FIRST ZONE, AND RECOVERING CONDENSED LIQUID AS THE PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE DISTILLATION OF A DISTILLAND COMPRISING INTRODUCING LIQUID TO BE DISTILLED INTO A FIRST ZONE, PROVIDING A QUANTITY OF A DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP OF DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUIDS CONSISTING OF MERCURY AND DIBUTYL PHTHALATE IN A SECOND ZONE DISPOSED IN GENERAL BELOW SAID FIRST ZONE, EXTENDING SAID DISTILLAND INTO THE FORM OF A THIN FILM AND SUPPORTING SAID THIN FILM ON A PERFORATED SOLID SURFACE FORMING A COMMON BOUNDARY BETWEEN SAID ZONES, MAINTAINING A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST ZONE BETWEEN THE LIMITS OF 10-4 AND 1 MILLIMETER OF MERCURY, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID THIN FILM OF DISTILLAND AT A VALUE BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF THE DISTILLAND UNDER THE PRESSUREE MAINTAINED IN THE FIRST ZONE, MAINTAINING A CONDENSING SURFACE IN SAID FIRST ZONE AT A DISTANCE FROM SAID THIN FILM OF DISTILLAND GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE MEANS FREE PATH OF THE MOLECULES IN SAID THIN FILM OF DISTILLAND UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE MAINTAINED IN SAID FIRST ZONE, PASSING VAPOR OF SAID DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND ZONE THROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS IN A FIXED DIRECTION TOWARD SAID CONDENSING SURFACE AND ENTRAINING THEREWITH VAPORS OF SAID LIQUID, CONDENSING THE VAPORS OF DISTILLAND AND VAPORS OF SAID DIFFUSION PUMP LIQUID, REMOVING CONDENSATE FROM SAID FIRST ZONE, AND RECOVERING CONDENSED LIQUID AS THE PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.