Continuous flow separation or mixing by electrophoresis with moving boundary sorption

A continuous process for separating charged components of a fluid mixture which comprises:

• (a) forming a sorption zone and desorption zone, said zones being separated by a boundary of a sorbent material which is disposed on the outside of a plurality of rotating elements and which continuously moves back and forth between the zones, said boundary forming a seal between the zones, and said sorbent materail or support for the sorbent material being deformable to provide an acceptable seal,
• (b) causing a fluid mixture containing charged components to be separated to flow into the sorption zone,
• (c) imposing an electrical potential in the sorption zone to promote preferential sorption of at least one of the charged components by the sorbent material, and
• (d) creating conditions in the desorption zone to promote desorption of at least one of the sorbed components when the sorbent material containing the sorbed components moves into the desorption zone.

A continuous process for separating charged components of a fluid mixture which comprises:

• (a) forming a sorption zone and a desorption zone, said zones being separated by a boundary of a sorbent material which is disposed on the outside of a plurality of rotating elements and which continuously moves back and forth between the zones, said boundary forming a seal between the zones, and said sorbent material or support for the sorbent material being deformable to provide an acceptable seal,
• (b) causing a fluid mixture containing charged components to be separated to flow into the sorption zone,
• (c) creating conditions in the sorption zone to promote sorption of at least one of the charged components by the sorbent material, and
• (d) imposing an electrical potential in the desorption zone to promote desorption of at least one of the sorbed components when the sorbent material containing the sorbed components moves into the desorption zone.