Fluid diffusion fractionation

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A FLUID MIXTURE COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO COMPONENTS OF AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT MOLECULAR SIZES INTO A FIRST FRACTION COMPRISING COMPONENTS OF SMALLER MOLECULAR SIZE AND A SECOND FRACTION COMPRISING COMPONENTS OF LARGE MOLECULAR SIZE, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE INTO A FEED ZONE AND THEREIN FLOWING SAID MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND IN CONTACT WITH A DIFFUSION BARRIER COMPRISING A SOLID PARTIALLY DEHYDRATED ZEOLITIC METALLO ALUMINO SILICATE HAVING INTERCRYSTALLINE PORES OF A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN THE MINIMUM MOLECULAR DIMENSIONS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND FRACTIONS, WITHIN A PRODUCT ZONE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID DIFFUSION BARRIER MAINTAINING THE PARTIAL PRESSURE OF SAID COMPONENTS OF SMALLER MOLECULAR SIZE AT A VALUE BELOW THAT OF THE PARTIALK PRESSURE OF SAID COMPONENTS OIF SMALLER MOLECULAR SIZE IN SAID FEED ZONE, WHEREBY SAID COMPONENTS OF SMALLER MOLECULAR SIZE ARE CAUSED TO PASS FROM SAID FEED ZONE THROUGH SAID DIFFUSION BARRIER INTO SAID PRODUCT ZONE, WITHDRAWING SAID FIRST FRACTION FROM SAID PRODUCT ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING SAID SECOND FRACTION FROM SAID FEED ZONE.