Separation technique through a permeation membrane

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING MOLECULAR SOLUTIONS OF LIQUID MIXTURES CONTAINING AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, THE MOLECULES OF WHICH COMPONENTS HAVE DIFFERING SOLUBILITIES WITHIN A PLASTIC MEMBRANE WHICH SEPARATES A FEED ZONE AND A PERMEATE ZONE OF A PERMEATION APPARATUS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES STARTING UP THE PERMEATION BY INTRODUCING THE MIXTURE INTO THE FEED ZONE OF A PREMEATION APPARATUS UNDER CONDITIONS WHICH PREVENT THE MEMBRANE FROM RUPTURING OR LOSING SELECTIVITY, MAINTAINING THE MIXTURE IN THE LIQUID STATE THEREIN, PERMEATING A PORTION OF THE LIQUID MIXTURE IN THE FEED ZONE THROUGH THE PLASTIC MEMBRANE INTO THE PERMEATE ZONE, MAINTAINING A PERMEATION OPERATING TEMPERATURE WHICH IS ABOVE THE SOFTENING POINT TRANSITION TEMPERATURE DISPLAYED BY THE MEMBRANE WHEN IN CONTACT WITH THE LIQUID MIXTURE IN THE FEED ZONE BUT NOT HIGHTER THAN 20*C. ABOVE THE FIRST ORDER TRANSITION TEMPERATUE DISPLAYED BY THE MEMBRANE WHEN IN CONTACT WITH THE LIQUID MXITURE IN THE FEED ZONE, MAINTAINING THE PERMEATED PORTION IN THE VAPOR STATE WITHIN THE PERMEATE ZONE, MAINTAINING THE ABSOLUTE PRESSURE IN THE PERMEATE ZONE AT LESS THAN ONE-HALF THE VAPOR PRESSURE NORMALLY EXERTED BY THE PERMEATED PORTION AT THE PERMEATION OPERATING TEMPERATURE, AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING FROM THE PERMEATE ZONE A VAPORIZED PERMEATED PORTION WHICH IS ENRICHED IN THAT COMPONENT OF THE LIQUID MIXTURE WHOSE MOLECULES ARE MOST SOLUBLE IN THE MEMBRANE.