Process and apparatus for effecting electrochromatographic separations

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR EFFECTING THE ELECTROCHROMATOGRAPHIC RESOLUTION OR RELATIVE CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SOLUTES WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A SOLUTION CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF SOLUTES INTO A CELL WHICH COMPRISES A PACK OF ALTERNATING MEMBRANES OF ION-EXCHANGE MATERIAL IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FORM AND SHEETS OF ANOTHER ANTI-CONVECTANT MATERIAL HELD IN FACE-TO-FACE PHYSICAL CONTACT AT A POINT ALONG AN EDGE THEREOF TO FORM A CHROMATOGRAPHIC COLUMN, INTRODUCING AN ELUANT INTO SAID CELL ALONG THE REMAINDER OF SAID EDGE AND TRAVERSING IT THROUGH SAID CELL TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND WHILST EMPLOYING AN ELECTRIC POTENTIAL APPLIED ACROSS SAID PACK IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID MEMBRANES BUT TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVERSE OF SAID ELUANT AND COLLECTING AT LEAST TWO FRACTIONS OF THE RESULTING ELUATE AT DIFFERENT POINTS ON THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF SAID CELL.