Method for electrodialysis of solutions and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF TRANSFERRING ELECTROLYTE FROM ONE SOLUTION TO ANOTHER IN AN ELECTRODIALYSIS CELL COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF DILUTING AND CONCENTRATING CHAMBERS DEFINED BY ALTERNATE ANION AND CATION PERMSELECTIVE MEMBRANES, SAID CELL HAVING TWO END ELECTRODES AND AT LEAST ONE COMMON ELECTRODE IN AN ELECTRODE CHAMBER SEPARATING GROUPS OF CONCENTRATING AND DILUTING CHAMBERS WITHIN SAID CELL, THE STEPS COMPRISING: PASSING TWO FEED ELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS THROUGH THE ALTERNATE CHAMBERS OF ONE GROUP, SEPARATELY COMBINING THE EFFLUENTS FROM SAID ALTERNATE CHAMBERS, PASSING THE SAME THROUGH THE CORRESPONDING CHAMBERS OF AN ADJACENT GROUP, AND PASSING A DIRECT ELECTRIC CURRENT TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID END ELECTRODES AND SAID COMMON INTERMEDIATE ELECTRODE TO EFFECT ALTERNATE CONCENTRATION AND DILUTION OF SAID FEED ELECTROLYTES IN ADJACENT CHAMBERS OF SAID CELL.