Apparatus for separating materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING FIRST AND SECOND COMPONENETS HAVING DIFFERENT DIFFUSION RATES INTO AT LEAST TWO FRACTIONS COMPRISING A CONTAINER MEANS HAVING AN ELONGATED CAVITY THERIN SEALED OFF FROM THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE BY MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, A FLEXIBLE DIFFUSION BARRIER SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST COMPONENET OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE WHEREBY THE FIRST COMPONENT DIFFUSES THERETHROUGH FASTER THAN THE SECOND COMPONENT, THE DIFFUSION BARRIER BEING IN THE FORM OF A FIRST ELONGATED CONDUIT FOR PASING GASES WHICH IS OPEN AT EACH END WHEREBY FIRST AND SECOND OPEN ENDS ARE PROVIDED, A SECOND ELONGATED CONDUIT FOR PASSING GASES, A PORTION OF THE SECOND CONDIUT BEING POSITIONED WITHIN THE CAVITY IN THE CONTAINER AND AN END PORTION THEROF EXTENDING OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE DIFFUSION BARRIER BEING SPIRALLY WOUND AROUND THE PORTION OF THE SECOND CONDUIT POSITIONED WITHIN THE CAVITY, AN OPENING IN THE PORTION OF THE SECOND CONDUIT POSITIONED WITHIN THE CAVITY, THE FIRST OPEN END OF THE DIFFUSION BARRIER BEING IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH A PORTION OF THE SECOND CONSUIT ADJACENT THE OPENING THEREIN AND POSITIONED WHEREBY THE INTERIOR OF THE FIRST CONDUIT IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE SECOND CONDUIT, MEANS FOR FEEDING GASEOUS MIXTURE TO BE SEPARATED INTO THE SECOND OPEN END OF THE DIFFUSION BARRIER, CONDUIT MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING DIFFUSED GAS ENRICHED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE FROM THE FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS OF THE CONTAINER MEANS, AND MEANS INCLUDING THE SECOND ELONGATED CONDUIT FOR WITHDRAWING UNDIFFUSED GAS ENRICHED WIT RESPECT TO THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE FROM THE CONTAINER MEANS.