Method for producing a deionized liquid product by electrodialysis

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF EXTRACTING SOLVENT FROM AN IONIC SOLUTION OF A CERTAIN IONIC CONCENTRATION BY THE ACTION OF AN ELECTRIC CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SOLUTION IN A MEMBRANE CELL, THE PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF DRIVING IONS OF ONE POLARITY OF THE SOLUTION BY THE ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH A FIRST MEMBRANE CONTACTED ON ONE SIDE BY THE SOLUTION, DRIVING SAID IONS BY THE SAID ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH A SECOND MEMBRANE INTO AN ELECTROLYTE LIQUID ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE SECOND MEMBRANE, IN WHICH A HYDRAULIC PRESSURE RELATIONSHIP IS MAINTAINED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FIRST MEMBRANE SUCH THAT, IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ELECTRIC CURRENT, THERE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NO HYDRAULIC FLOW FROM SAID ONE SIDE THROUGH THE FIRST MEMBRANE TO ITS OTHER SIDE, AND IN WHICH THE FIRST MEMBRANE IS OF LARGER EFFECTIVE PORE SIZE THAN THE SECOND MEMBRANE, AND IN WHICH THE SECOND MEMBRANE HAS A PORE LIQUID OF A HIGHER IONIC CONCENTRATION THAN THE SAID IONIC SOLUTION, WHEREBY IONS OF SAID ONE POLARITY PASS THROUGH THE FIRST MEMBRANE IN MORE HIGHLY SOLVATED CONDITION THAN THROUGH THE SECOND MEMBRANE; RESTRICTING THE FLOW OF IONS OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY THROUGH AT LEAST THE MEMBRANE OF SMALLER PORE SIZE; AND REMOVING SOLVENT PRODUCT ACCUMULATING BETWEEN THE TWO MEMBRANES AS A RESULT OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THE IONIC SOLVENT TRANSPORT THROUGH THE TWO MEMBRANES.