Isothermal-liquid-liquid permeation separation systems

Claim 1

A MEMBRANE PERMEATION METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF LIQUID MIXTURES WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: INTRODUCING A LIQUID FEED MIXTURE TO BE SEPARATED INTO A PERMEATE-ENRICHED AND A PERMEATE-LEAN LIQUID FRACTION INTO A FEED ZONE, THE FEED ZONE BEING PART OF A MEMBRANE PERMEATION SYSTEM CHARACTERIZED BY A PERMEATE ZONE AND A FEDD ZONE, THE ZONES SEPARATED BY A THIN MEMBRANE MATERIAL EXHIBITING A SELECTIVE PERMEATION AFFINITY FOR AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT OF THE FEED MIXTURE; PERMEATING A FRACTION OF THE LIQUID FEED MIXTURE THROUGH THE MEMBRANE FROM THE FEED ZONE INTO THE PERMEATE ZONE TO OBTAIN IN THE PERMEATE ZONE A PERMEATE-ENRICHED FRACTION; CONTACTING THE PERMEATE-ENRICHED FRACTION IN THE PERMEATE ZONE WITH A LIQUID SWEEP STREAM, WHICH LIQUID SWEEP STREAM IS A SOLVENT FOR THE PERMEATE-ENRICHED FRACTION, AND HAS A DIFFERENT OLTILITY THAN THE PERMEATE-ENRICHED FRACTION AND FROM WHICH THE RESULTING LIQUID EFFLUENT STREAM THE SAID FRACTION AND LIQUID MAY BE SEPARATED BY EVAPORATION; WITHDRAWING FORM THE PERMEATE ZONE A LIQUID EFFLUENT STREAM COMPRISING AS COMPONENTS THEREOF THE PERMEATE-ENRICHED FRACTION AND THE LIQUID SWEEP STREAM; WITHDRAWING FORM THE FEED ZONE A PERMEATE-LEAN FRACTION; REDUCING THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID EFFLUENT STREAM TO A PRESSURE OF ABOUT THE PRESSURE OR LOWER IN THE PERMEATE ZONE OF THE COMPONENT OF THE LIQUID EFFLUENT STREAM TO BE VAPORIZED; VAPORIZING ONE COMPONENT OF THE LIQUID EFFLUENT STREAM BY ADDITION OF ONLY THE LATENT HEAT OF VAPORIZATION FOR THAT COMPONENT; SEPARATING THE VAPORIZED COMPONENT AND THE LIQUID COMPONENT OF THE EFFLUENT STREAM; RECOVERYING THE PERMEATE-ENRICHED FRACTION; AND RECYCLING AT LEAST A PART OF THE LIQUID SWEEP STREAM TO THE PERMEATE ZONE, ALL STEPS OF THE PROCESS BEING CARRIED OUT UNDER A SELECTED SINGLE SUBSTANTIAL ISOTHERMAL CONDITION WITHOUT INTENTIAONAL STEPS TO CHANGE OTHE TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID SWEEP, FEED, OR LIQUID EFFLUENT STREAMS.