Selective adsorption process and apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING A LIQUID FEED MIX INTO TWO FRACTIONS BY SELECTIVE ADSORPTION WHICH COMPRISES MOVING A MASS OF ADSORBENT CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH A CLOSED CYCLE, MAINTAINING A COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH THE ADSORBENT, SAID LIQUID FLOW BEING ESTABLISHED IN PART BY CIRCULATING THE FEED MIX COUNTER TO THE TRAVEL OF ADSORPTIVE MATERIAL THROUGH A PORTION OF THE TRAVEL OF THE SUCH ADSORBENT, AND ADSORBING FROM THE FEED MIX ITS MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION, WITHDRAWING THE UNADSORBED PART OF THE FEED MIX COMPRISING THE LESS READILY IN PART BY FLOWING AN ELUTANT THROUGH A SUCCEEDING PORTION IN PART BY FLOWING AN ELUTANT THROUGH A SUCCEEDING PORTION OF TRAVEL OF THE ADSORBENT TO DESORB THE MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION OF THE FEED MIX AND REMOVING SUCH DESORBED FRACTION AT A POINT IN THE TRAVEL OF THE ADSORBENT PAST THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FEED MIX AND BEFORE THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE ELUTANT, THE LIQUID FLOW BEING ALSO ESTABLISHED IN PART BY REFLUXING SOME OF THE LESS READILY ADSORBED FRACTION OF THE FEED MIX FROM ADJACENT ITS POINT OF WITHDRAWAL TOWARD THE POINT OF INTRODUCING THE ELUTANT, WHEREBY THE COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW OF LIQUID IS FIRST COMPRISED OF FEED MIX FROM WHICH THE MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION IS BEING ADSORBED AND CARRIED AWAY BY THE ADSORBENT AND THEN CONSTITUTED IN PART OF THE LESS READILY ADSORBED FRACTION AND ELUTANT WITH THE LESS READILY ADSORBED FRACTION BEING ADSORBED FROM THE LIWUID STREAM AND THE ELUTANT DESORBED, THE ELEUTANT FLOWING BACK TOWARD THE POINT OF ITS INTRODUCTION, AND THEREAFTER THE STREAM IS CONSTITUTED OF ELUTANT AND THE MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION WITH THE ELUTANT BEING ADSORBED AND SAID FRACTION BEING DESORBED AND CARRIED IN SAID STREAM TOWARD ITS POINT OF REMOVAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING A LIQUID FEED MIX INTO TWO FRACTIONS BY SELECTIVE ADSORPTION WHICH COMPRISES MOVING A MASS OF ADSORBENT CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH A CLOSED CYCLE, MAINTAINING A COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH THE ADSORBENT, SAID LIQUID FLOW BEING ESTABLISHED IN PART BY CIRCULATING THE FEED MIX COUNTER TO THE TRAVEL OF ADSORPTIVE MATERIAL THROUGH A PORTION OF THE TRAVEL OF THE SUCH ADSORBENT, AND ADSORBING FROM THE FEED MIX ITS MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION, WITHDRAWING THE UNADSORBED PART OF THE FEED MIX COMPRISING THE LESS READILY IN PART BY FLOWING AN ELUTANT THROUGH A SUCCEEDING PORTION IN PART BY FLOWING AN ELUTANT THROUGH A SUCCEEDING PORTION OF TRAVEL OF THE ADSORBENT TO DESORB THE MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION OF THE FEED MIX AND REMOVING SUCH DESORBED FRACTION AT A POINT IN THE TRAVEL OF THE ADSORBENT PAST THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FEED MIX AND BEFORE THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE ELUTANT, THE LIQUID FLOW BEING ALSO ESTABLISHED IN PART BY REFLUXING SOME OF THE LESS READILY ADSORBED FRACTION OF THE FEED MIX FROM ADJACENT ITS POINT OF WITHDRAWAL TOWARD THE POINT OF INTRODUCING THE ELUTANT, WHEREBY THE COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW OF LIQUID IS FIRST COMPRISED OF FEED MIX FROM WHICH THE MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION IS BEING ADSORBED AND CARRIED AWAY BY THE ADSORBENT AND THEN CONSTITUTED IN PART OF THE LESS READILY ADSORBED FRACTION AND ELUTANT WITH THE LESS READILY ADSORBED FRACTION BEING ADSORBED FROM THE LIWUID STREAM AND THE ELUTANT DESORBED, THE ELEUTANT FLOWING BACK TOWARD THE POINT OF ITS INTRODUCTION, AND THEREAFTER THE STREAM IS CONSTITUTED OF ELUTANT AND THE MORE READILY ADSORBED FRACTION WITH THE ELUTANT BEING ADSORBED AND SAID FRACTION BEING DESORBED AND CARRIED IN SAID STREAM TOWARD ITS POINT OF REMOVAL.