Diffusional separation of aromatic compounds

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A FLUID MIXTURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS COMPRISING AN AROMATIC COMPOUND AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUND DIFFERING IN MOLECULAR CONFIGURATION FROM SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND INTO A FIRST FRACTION AND A SECOND FRACTION, THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF SAID COMPOUNDS IN EACH OF SAID FRACTIONS DIFFERING FROM THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF SAID COMPOUNDS IN SAID FLUID MIXTURE, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: (1) INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE INTO A FEED ZONE AND THEREIN FLOWING SAID MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND IN CONTACT WITH A DIFFUSION BARRIER COMPRISING A SOLID WERNER COMPLEX CONSISTING OF ONE MOLE PROPORTION OF A SALT OF A METAL OF ATOMIC NUMBER ABOVE 12 COORDINATED WITH AT LEAST TWO MOLE PROPORTIONS OF A HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN BASE, SAID BARRIER BEING RELATIVELY THIN WITH A LARGE STABLE LATERAL SURFACE, (2) WITHIN A PRODUCT ZONE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID DIFFUSION BARRIER MAINTAINING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND AT A VALUE BELOW THAT EXISTING IN SAID TEED ZONE, WHEREBY SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND IS CAUSED TO PASS FROM SAID FEED ZONE THROUGH SAID DIFFUSION BARRIER INTO SAID PRODUCT ZONE, (3) WITHDRAWING SAID FIRST FRACTION FROM SAID PRODUCT ZONE, (4) WITHDRAWING SAID SECOND FRACTION FROM SAID FEED ZONE, AND (5) MAINTAINING WITHIN SAID PRODUCT ZONE AND SAID FEED ZONE A SUBSTANTIAL CONCENTRATION OF A FREE HETERCYCLIC NITROGEN BASE COMPOUND.