Process for electrodialyzing liquids

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR ELECTRODIALYZING AN ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION WITH A PLURALITY OF ELECTRODIALYZING UNITS, WHICH COMPRISES IN EACH UNIT FLOWING A STREAM OF ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION BETWEEN AND IN CONTACT WITH TWO ION-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES, SIMULTANEOUSLY FLOWING A STREAM OF A RINSING LIQUID TO AND OVER THE OTHER SIDE OF EACH OF SAID MEMBRANES AND PASSING A DIRECT CURRENT IN SERIES ACROSS SAID MEMBRANES THROUGH SAID SOLUTION TO ELECTRODIALYZE SAID SOLUTION, DIVIDING THE STREAM OF ELECTRODIALYZED LIQUID ISSUING FROM BETWEEN SAD MEMBRANES OF EACH OF SAID UNITS INTO A FIRST STREAM AND A SECOND STREAM, SAID FIRST STREAM FROM EACH UNIT CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER QUANTITY OF LIQUID THAN SAID SECOND STREAM THEREFROM, ADDING SAID FIRST STREAM FROM EACH UNIT TO THE AFORESAID STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION FLOWING INTO THE SAME UNIT AND MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF THE RESULTING LIQUID BETWEEN THE MEMBRANES OF THE SAME UNIT AT A VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT POLARIZATION EFFECTS AT THE SURFACES OF SUCH MEMBRANES, FLOWING SAID SECOND STREAM FROM EACH BUT THE LAST OF SAID UNITS TO THE NEXT UNIT AS THE AFORESAID STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION, AND TAKING OFF SAID SECOND STREAM FROM THE LAST OF SAID UNITS AS THE ELECTRODIALYZED PRODUCT.