Method of fractionation of ionic liquids

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF SEPARATING IONIC SPECIES OF LIKE POLARITY OF AN IONIC SOLUTION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL IN CELL COMPRISING SPACED ELECTRODES, AND AT LEAST TWO SPACED BARRIERS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF AN ELECTRIC CURRENT PASSING FROM ONE ELECTRODE TO THE OTHER, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID BARRIERS BEING PERMSELECTIVE, THE STEPS COMPRISING, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING AN IONIC SOLUTION CONTAINING SAID SPECIES INTO SAID CELL BETWEEN SAID BARRIERS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING FOR LIQUID WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID CELL; APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL AT SAID ELECTRODES, THE POLARITY BEING SUCH AS TO EFFECT AN INCREASE IN IONIC CONCENTRATION OF THE SOLUTION ON ONE SIDE OF THE PERMSELECTIVE BARRIER AND A DECREASE IN IONIC CONCENTRATION ON THE SIDE OF THE OTHER BARRIER FACING THE PERMSEOF GRAVITY TO MOVE TOWARDS, AND ACCUMULATE IN THE LOWER REGION OF THE CELL TO FORM A CONCENTRATE POOL, THE DILUTE TENDING TO MOVE TOWARDS THE UPPER REGION OF THE CELL; CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A SOLVENT LIQUID INTO THE LOWER REGION OF THE CELL TO WITHDRAW BY DILUTION IONS FROM SAID CONCENTRATE POOL AND CARRY IONS FROM SAID POOL TO ZONES WITHIN THE CELL ABOVE SAID POOL, IONS OF LOWER IONIC MOBILITY MOVING TO HIGHER ZONES BY SAID LIQUID IN PREFERENCE TO IONS OF HIGHER IONIC MOBILITY WHICH TEND TO ACCUMULATE AT LOER ZONES: CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING, AS A FIRST PRODUCT, SOLUTION FROM A FIRST PRODUCT ZONE; AND WITHDRAWING, AS A SECOND PRODUCT, SOLUTION FROM A SECOND PRODUCT ZONE LYING ABOVE SAID FIRST PRODUCT ZONE, SAID TWO ZONES CONTAINING SAID IONIC SPECIES IN DIFFERENT RELATIVE PROPORTIONS.