Method for completely separating ions by use of ion exchange resin

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING TWO DIFFERENT IONS INTO TWO RESPECTIVE GROUPS OF IONS BY USE OF ION EXCHANGE RESIN BY THE CONTACT OF A LIQUOR CONTAINING THE TWO IONS WITH AN ION EXCHANGE RESIN IN AN ADSORBING ZONE TO SEPARATE A LIQUOR CONTAINING ONE ION FROM RESIN HAVING ADSORBED THEREON THE OTHER ION, AND CONTACTING THE WASTE RESIN WITH A REGENERATING SOLUTION TO REGENERATE THE RESIN FOR REUSE OF THE REGENERATED RESIN IN THE ADSROBING ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL ADSORPTION ZONE BETWEEN THE AFORESAID ADSORBING AND REGENERATING ZONES, WHEREIN THE ADDITIONAL ZONE IS OPERATIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN ADSORPTION EQUILIBRIUM CURVE, A REGENERATION EQUILIBRIUM CURVE AND THE INITIAL AND FINAL EQUIVALENT FRACTION OF IONS IN THE LIQUOR, FEEDING A PART OF EFFLUENT LIQUOR WITHDRAWN FROM THE REGENERATING ZONE IN THE ADDITIONAL ZONE IN COUNTERCURRENT WITH THE WASTE RESIN CHARGED THEREIN FROM THE FIRST ADSORPTION ZONE, THE EFFLUENT FROM THE ADDITIONAL ZONE BEING FED TO THE FIRST ADSORBING ZONE SO THAT A MIXTURE OF SAID EFFLUENT FROM THE ADDITIONAL ZONE AND THE LIQUOR TO BE TREATED IS FED INTO THE FIRST ADSORBING ZONE, AND PASSING THE RESIN WITHDRAWN FROM THE ADDITIONAL ZONE IN SERIES INTO THE REGENERATING ZONE.