Adsorption separation process

Claim 1

IN AN ADSORPTION SEPARATION PROCESS WHEREIN A SOLID ADSORBENT MASS IS ALTERNATELY CONTACTED WITH A LIQUID FEED AMENABLE TO SEPARATION BY SELECTIVE ADSORPTION TO SEPARATE AN ABSORBATE AND A PERCOLATE AND WITH A STRIPPING LIQUID TO REMOVE THE ADSORBATE FROM THE ADSORBENT AND REGENERATE THE ADSORBENT FOR REUSE, THE IMPROVED METHOD WHICH COMPRISES RECOVERING THE EFFLUENT FROM THE ADSORBENT MASS DURING THE STRIPPING LIQUID CONTACTING STEP IN THREE FRACTIONS: A FIRST EFFLUENT FRACTION CONSISTING SUBSTANTIALLY OF UNSEPARATED FEED, A SECOND EFFLUENT FRACTION CONSISTING OF STRIPPING LIQUID RELATIVELY RICH IN ADSORBATE AND A THIRD EFFLUENT LIQUID RELATIVELY RICH IN ADSORBATE AND RELATIVELY LEAN IN ADSORBATE, AND INTRODUCING SAID THIRD FRACTION INTO CONTACT WITH THE ADSORBENT SUBSEQUENT TO THE SUCCEEDING FEED CONTACTING STEP AND PRIOR TO THE SUBSEQUENT STRIPPING LIQUID CONTACTING STEP, RECOVERING THE EFFUENT FROM THE ADSORBENT MASS DURING THE FEED CONTACTING STEPS IN THREE FRACTIONS: A FIRST FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF STRIPPING LIQUID, A SECOND FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF STRIPPING LIQUID, A SECOND FRACTION CONSISTING NATING IN STRIPPING LIQUID AND A THIRD EFFLUENT FRACTION COMPRISING STRIPPING LIQUID AND PERCOLATE AND PREDOMINATING IN PERCOLATE, AND CONTACTING THE ADSORBENT WITH SAID SECOND FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF STRIPPING LIQUID AND PERCOLATE FOLLOWING THE NEXT SUCCEEDING STRIPPING LIQUID CONTACTING STEP AND PRIOR TO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING FEED CONTACTING STEP.